This is part two of a three-part series exploring Lyme disease: how to test for it, treat it, and prevent it.  One of the difficulties of Lyme disease is actually figuring out if you have it. Unlike many other diseases, diagnosis can be difficult. This is true of other tick-borne illnesses as well. The western blot and ELISA tests look for specific antibodies within the blood and are the standard conventional testing methods given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, with these testing methods, 60 percent of early Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses are missed. Immunoglobulin testing can offer greater sensitivity and specificity than the standard two-tiered testing methods laid out by the CDC. This testing uses recombinant proteins of several species of Borrelia burgdorferi, and not just from B31 used by other western blot tests. CD57 is a blood test that looks at specific natural …