Antero Healthcare, located at 39 Nott Highway in Ashford, was founded to respond to a need in Eastern Connecticut and beyond.
Dr. Charles Bizilj opened Antero in 2018 to focus on treating patients with Lyme Disease as well as other tick-borne illnesses.
According to Dr. Bizilj, most people have heard of Lyme disease, but cannot speak to the complexities of diagnosis and treatment. More importantly, many people are unaware of the number of diseases transmitted by ticks. It is quite unusual to find a patient that is infected solely with Borrelia (Lyme disease). More commonly patients have 2, 3 or even more infections concurrently. Many studies have shown that over 20 diseases can be transmitted by Ixodes ticks, and by numerous other tick species.
Similarly, many community members are unaware of symptoms associated with these tickborne illnesses. A circular rash and joint pain was often a requisite for considering that a tickborne illness was present. Recent studies have changed that paradigm. Some patients present with nothing more than fatigue — others report vertigo or bladder dysfunction.
Research is finally catching up to this complex arena in medicine. Simply administering antibiotics is no longer acceptable. The patient’s immune system needs to be considered. The level of inflammation needs to be considered as well as thyroid and adrenal function. The reality that many of these organisms are hiding behind the shield of a biofilm must be addressed.
Most fascinating is the fact that nature holds many of the answers. The majority of treatments for these tickborne illnesses come from botanical preparations readily available in natural food stores, health food stores and yes, even Amazon. The widely accepted dogma that “chronic Lyme” cannot be treated is simply not true. What is true is that antibiotics alone do not work.
In the pre-Covid era Antero Healthcare was participating in community education sessions around the state. Slideshows and open forums were helping to educate the public regarding the value of treating these diseases holistically. And finally, the topic of tickborne illness cannot be completed without discussing prevention. Numerous “all-natural” tick repellents are available and effective. Yard spraying is an option. Clothing treatments are remarkably effective.
Antero Healthcare will be resuming community lectures in 2022. The website will be updated with dates and locations. Please consider attending one and share your stories, ask questions and embrace the new paradigm that treatment is possible.
For more information, visit anterohealthcare.com.