If you think you have babesiosis, see a doctor. It is treatable with antibiotics, and it can be serious if it isn't treated. Nothing on this page is a substitute for that.
With that said: babesiosis is poorly understood by most people who encounter it, and there is a lot of confusing information online about oxygen therapy and tick-borne infections. This article covers what babesiosis actually is, how it's diagnosed and treated, how it differs from Lyme disease, and — honestly — where EWOT does and doesn't fit.
Key Points
- Babesiosis is a tick-borne parasitic infection that infects and destroys red blood cells. Lyme disease, spread by the same ticks, is bacterial. They are different infections with different treatments.
- Babesiosis is treated with prescription antimicrobials — usually atovaquone and azithromycin for 7–10 days.
- It can be severe or life-threatening in people who are elderly, immunocompromised, or who have had their spleen removed.
- EWOT is not a treatment for babesiosis, and we don't sell it as one. See the section below for why breathing extra oxygen doesn't address what this infection does.
- Early tick removal is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent it.
What is Babesiosis?
Babesiosis is a disease that affects your red blood cells, caused by the Babesia parasite. A parasite is a living organism that lives on or inside another organism. The most common type infecting humans in the US is Babesia microti, transmitted by deer ticks (also called black-legged ticks).
Babesiosis is often asymptomatic. When symptoms do appear, they're typically flu-like: fever, body aches, chills, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite and sweating. As the parasite damages your red blood cells, you may develop haemolytic anaemia — a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than your bone marrow can replace them.
Symptoms usually appear within 1–4 weeks of exposure and can linger for several weeks.
Over the past decade there has been a rise in the incidence of babesiosis in the United States, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest.
When babesiosis is serious
Babesiosis can be severe and potentially fatal, especially for people who are elderly, immunocompromised, or who have had a splenectomy. Severe disease can progress to low platelet counts, organ failure and respiratory distress.
Complications and warning signs include:
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Pale skin
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach ache
- Neck stiffness
- Sudden changes in mood and emotions
If you have any of these, or a fever after a known or suspected tick bite, seek medical care promptly. Babesiosis is diagnosed with a blood smear, serology or PCR testing — you cannot tell from symptoms alone, because they overlap with flu and with Lyme disease.
How Babesiosis is Treated
Asymptomatic patients often don't need treatment. For people who are unwell, treatment is a prescription course of antimicrobials, usually for at least 7–10 days:
- Atovaquone + azithromycin — the standard first-line combination
- Quinine + clindamycin — generally used for more severe disease
Severe cases may require hospital treatment, including exchange transfusion. Guidance for clinicians is published by the CDC.
There is currently no vaccine against human babesiosis.
How is Babesiosis Transmitted?
An infected deer tick transmits Babesia parasites through its bite. The parasites migrate from the tick's gut to the host's skin and eventually enter the bloodstream, where they multiply and destroy red blood cells.
The parasite can generally only be transmitted if a tick stays attached for 36–48 hours, which is why prompt tick removal is so effective at preventing infection. Many infections come from nymphs — the tiny, difficult-to-spot young ticks that are active in spring and summer.
In rare cases, babesiosis can also be transmitted through blood transfusion or from mother to baby during pregnancy or delivery.
Ticks can attach anywhere on the body, but they frequently hide in hard-to-see places: behind your knees, in your armpits, on your scalp, behind your ears, in your belly button and in your groin.
How Babesia Affects Your Body
When the Babesia parasite infects your red blood cells, those cells travel through your spleen. The spleen filters your blood and is an important part of your immune system — when it detects parasite-carrying red blood cells, it mounts an immune response to clear them.
This is why people without a spleen, and those who are immunocompromised, are at much higher risk of severe disease: they lack this defence mechanism and can't clear the parasite effectively.
As red blood cells are destroyed, you lose oxygen-carrying capacity. Red blood cells are what carry oxygen around your body, so fewer of them means less oxygen delivered to your tissues — which is a large part of why babesiosis causes such pronounced fatigue.
This is the point that matters for the next section: the problem in babesiosis is a shortage of carriers, not a shortage of oxygen in the air. That distinction determines what actually helps.
Does EWOT Help With Babesiosis?
No. EWOT is not a treatment for babesiosis, and it does not kill the parasite or shorten the infection.
It's worth explaining why, because the reasoning sounds plausible until you look closely.
The argument you'll see online goes: babesiosis causes low oxygen, EWOT delivers more oxygen, therefore EWOT addresses babesiosis. The flaw is in the middle step. If your lungs are healthy, your blood is already around 97–98% saturated with oxygen — the red blood cells you still have are essentially full. Breathing a higher concentration adds only a small amount of dissolved oxygen to the plasma. It does not replace the red blood cells the parasite has destroyed, and it does nothing to the parasite itself.
The fatigue of babesiosis is driven by haemolytic anaemia and by the infection itself. What resolves it is clearing the infection with the right antimicrobials, after which red blood cell counts recover.
There is also a practical safety point. Strenuous exercise during an active infection is not a good idea — particularly with anaemia, a low platelet count, or any degree of cardiac or respiratory involvement. If you have an active or recent babesiosis diagnosis, talk to your doctor before starting any exercise programme, EWOT included.
EWOT is a wellness and performance practice for people who are well. It's not an adjunctive therapy for a parasitic infection, and we won't tell you otherwise.
Babesiosis vs Lyme Disease
Both are spread by the same ticks and can occur together, but they are different infections.
Cause
- Babesiosis: the protozoan parasite Babesia
- Lyme disease: Borrelia bacteria
Transmission
Both: through the bite of black-legged (deer) ticks.
Symptoms
- Babesiosis: often asymptomatic. When present — fever, chills, body ache, headache, sweats, fatigue, nausea.
- Lyme disease: early symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, and often a characteristic rash. Later symptoms can include body rash, neck pain, facial paralysis, arthritis, nerve pain, irregular heartbeat, pain and numbness, dizziness and shortness of breath.
Incubation period
- Babesiosis: typically 1–4 weeks after infection
- Lyme disease: typically 3–30 days after the tick bite
Diagnosis
- Babesiosis: blood smear, serology, PCR-based tests
- Lyme disease: antibody tests and clinical evaluation
Treatment
- Babesiosis: asymptomatic patients often don't need treatment. For symptomatic cases: atovaquone + azithromycin, or quinine + clindamycin.
- Lyme disease: antibiotics — doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime axetil.
Geographic range
- Babesiosis: USA (Midwest and Northeast), Asia, Europe
- Lyme disease: USA (Midwest and Northeast), Europe, Canada
How to Prevent Tick Bites
Prevention is where you have real control, and it works. Babesiosis and other tick-borne illnesses are prevented by avoiding tick bites:
- Wear light-coloured, protective clothing so ticks are easier to spot
- Use insect repellent containing 10–30% DEET on exposed skin and clothing. Apply to your hands first.
- Walk in the centre of trails to avoid brushing against vegetation
- Inspect yourself, children and pets every 2–3 hours when outdoors
- Remove ticks with tweezers, pulling steadily upward. If you find ticks crawling on clothing, masking tape works. Don't use petroleum jelly or other home remedies to remove an attached tick — these can increase the chance of transmission.
- Dispose of ticks safely in soapy water or alcohol
- Wash the bite area and your hands with soap and water, then apply an antiseptic
- Contact your healthcare provider if you develop a fever or feel unwell after a possible bite, especially if you live in a tick-prone area
Remember: the tick generally needs 36–48 hours attached to transmit Babesia. Checking yourself the same day is genuinely protective.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can babesiosis be cured?
Yes. Most people who receive appropriate antimicrobial treatment recover fully. Relapses can occur in immunocompromised patients and may need longer or repeated courses, managed by a doctor.
Does EWOT treat babesiosis or Lyme disease?
No. Neither infection is treated by breathing supplemental oxygen. Both are treated with prescription antimicrobials. If you have been diagnosed with either, your treatment belongs with your doctor.
Is there a vaccine for babesiosis?
No. There is currently no vaccine against human babesiosis, which is why tick-bite prevention matters.
Can I exercise if I have babesiosis?
Ask your doctor. Active babesiosis can involve anaemia and low platelet counts, and strenuous exercise during an active infection isn't advisable. Once you've recovered, returning to exercise gradually is a conversation to have with whoever treated you.
How soon after a tick bite should I worry?
Symptoms typically appear 1–4 weeks after infection. If you develop a fever, chills or unusual fatigue within that window after a known or possible tick bite, tell your doctor about the bite — it changes which tests they'll consider.
A Note on Medical Advice
This article is for general education. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Babesiosis is a serious infection that requires proper medical diagnosis and treatment. If you suspect you have a tick-borne illness, see a doctor — and don't delay treatment in favour of any wellness product, ours included.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinical Overview of Babesiosis. cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How Babesiosis Spreads. cdc.gov
- Krause PJ, Lepore T, Sikand VK, et al. Atovaquone and azithromycin for the treatment of babesiosis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2000;343(20):1454–1458. Link
