Tick Boot Camp

Episode 458: LIVE from ILADS: Dr. Jennifer Letitia - Unpacking Long COVID and Long Lyme Disease

1 year ago

Key Takeaways:

  • From Plastic Surgery to Functional Medicine: Dr. Jennifer Letitia shares her journey from a career in plastic and reconstructive surgery to functional medicine after facing her own health struggles.
  • Long COVID & Long Lyme - Similar Mechanisms: She explains how long COVID and long Lyme disease share common immune dysfunctions, including spike protein effects, white blood cell activation, and inflammatory cytokines.
  • Root Cause Medicine: Dr. Letitia emphasizes addressing underlying causes rather than just managing symptoms for lasting recovery.
  • Gender Differences in Chronic Illness: She discusses why chronic illnesses disproportionately affect women and the challenges in research due to a patient population primarily composed of women.
  • Bridging Medical Gaps: The conversation highlights the need for collaboration between medical disciplines to improve the understanding and treatment of chronic illnesses.

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Tick Boot Camp is a Lyme disease and tick-borne illness podcast featuring interviews with leading doctors, researchers, scientists, patients, advocates, and experts. Explore Lyme disease symptoms, testing, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, chronic Lyme disease, coinfections, PANS/PANDAS, MCAS, neurological symptoms, emerging research, and the latest advances in tick-borne disease care. Through expert education and powerful patient stories, Tick Boot Camp provides hope, validation, practical information, and a community for people navigating Lyme disease and complex chronic illness.