ABOUT THIS EPISODE
🔥 What if one of the biggest challenges with Lyme disease isn’t treatment… but getting the diagnosis in the first place? Read UnCurable to explore a deeper perspective on chronic illness, missed diagnoses, and the root causes that often go overlooked.
What if Lyme disease is often missed because the testing was never designed to catch every case?
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman and Veronica Porterfield conclude their Lyme disease series by exploring one of the most controversial and misunderstood aspects of Lyme disease: diagnosis and testing.
They explain why Lyme disease can be difficult to identify, why negative test results do not always rule out infection, and how the bacteria’s unique ability to evade the immune system creates significant challenges for conventional testing. The conversation also explores the differences between antibody testing, Western Blot testing, specialty laboratory testing, and emerging diagnostic technologies.
Throughout the discussion, Dr. Hartman and Veronica emphasize the importance of treating the patient rather than relying solely on laboratory results. They also explain how co-infections, chronic immune dysfunction, environmental factors, and gaps in clinician training can contribute to delayed diagnoses and prolonged suffering for many patients.
About the Guest
Veronica Porterfield, PA-C, IFMCP, MS, LN, MPAS is a functional medicine practitioner specializing in Lyme disease, chronic infections, mold-related illness, autoimmune conditions, and complex chronic health challenges. She is known for her root-cause approach to patient care and her expertise in helping patients navigate difficult-to-diagnose chronic illnesses.
Key Topics Covered
- Why Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose accurately
- The limitations of standard Lyme antibody testing
- Why a negative Lyme test does not always rule out infection
- The differences between screening tests, Western Blot testing, and specialty testing
- How Lyme disease can interfere with normal immune responses
- Why antibody production does not always follow expected patterns
- Understanding Lyme-specific antibody bands and Western Blot interpretation
- The differences between sensitivity and specificity in diagnostic testing
- How specialty Lyme laboratories differ from conventional testing
- Emerging technologies used in Lyme disease detection
- Why co-infections can complicate both diagnosis and treatment
- The role of Bartonella, Babesia, and other tick-borne infections
- Why clinician training and experience matter in complex chronic illness
- The impact of environmental toxins and immune dysfunction on chronic symptoms
- Why patient symptoms remain a critical part of the diagnostic process
- How advocacy and education can help patients navigate complex diagnoses
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD
