Nov 3, 2026 · 50 min
Lyme advocates challenge standard testing for hidden infections
213. Nicole Bell: The Hidden Dangers of Lyme Disease—Brain Fog, Alzheimer's & Misdiagnosis
The episode examines how missed or misidentified tick-borne infections can leave cognitive and multisystem symptoms without an effective treatment strategy.
- 1Lyme and related infections may affect the brain, joints, eyes, and other immune-privileged tissues.
- 2Conventional antibody tests can be difficult to interpret, especially in early, chronic, or atypical illness.
- 3Identifying Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia matters because treatment strategies differ by pathogen.
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Nicole Bell explains how her husband’s unexplained cognitive decline led her to investigate Lyme and other tick-borne infections, ultimately shaping her advocacy mission.
The brief
Nicole Bell entered Lyme advocacy after her husband developed unexplained early cognitive decline, leading her from an engineering and diagnostics background into research and patient education.
The conversation argues that stealth infections may contribute to brain inflammation and Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, raising questions about whether treating underlying causes matters more than targeting plaques alone.
Lyme can involve the brain, joints, eyes, and other tissues, while ticks may transmit Bartonella and Babesia; treatment therefore depends on identifying the specific infection.
Bell contrasts antibody testing with direct detection, including Galaxy Diagnostics’ urine antigen approach, while noting that early, chronic, or hyperimmune cases can complicate interpretation.
The episode’s practical tension is diagnostic: a missing rash or negative conventional test may not settle the question, especially when persistent multisystem symptoms resist standard protocols.
Bell’s mission is to improve awareness, access, and testing after her husband’s illness, with earlier detection positioned as the bridge between uncertainty and targeted treatment.
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