18 KD (IGG) Band

check icon Optimal Result: 0 - 0 Units.

Two types of antibodies are detected in the Western blot test.

This particular marker is called 18 KD (IGG) Band and hence is a IgG antibody marker. IgG antibodies are a sign of an older infection. In contrast, IgM antibodies reflect a relatively recent infection. 

IgM antibodies usually disappear after eight weeks post-exposure. 
IgG remains in the serum for a very long time. 

In the Western blot test there are three bands for IgM and 10 bands for IgG.

Here is the important part:

- You need to have 2 out of 3 for the positive IgM result

- Or you need to have 5 out of 10 for the positive IgG result. 

Either one confirms the diagnosis if symptoms are present.

What does it mean if your 18 KD (IGG) Band result is too high?

Two types of antibodies are detected in the Western blot test.

This particular marker is called 18 KD (IGG) Band and hence is a IgG antibody marker. IgG antibodies are a sign of an older infection. In contrast, IgM antibodies reflect a relatively recent infection. 

IgM antibodies usually disappear after eight weeks post-exposure. 
IgG remains in the serum for a very long time. 

In the Western blot test there are three bands for IgM and 10 bands for IgG.

Here is the important part:

- You need to have 2 out of 3 for the positive IgM result

- Or you need to have 5 out of 10 for the positive IgG result. 

Either one confirms the diagnosis.

Here is the 2nd important part when it comes to a diagnosis:

If a person doesn't have signs or symptoms of Lyme disease, then the person does not have Lyme disease as the definition of disease requires symptoms.

What could some of those symptoms be?

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

Lyme disease symptoms are wide-ranging, with more than a hundred different symptoms recorded. Symptoms can also change over time, as the bacteria spreads throughout the body. To make things more confusing, Lyme disease symptoms will also vary from patient-to-patient. Lyme disease can mimic hundreds of other conditions since its symptoms mirror many medical problems such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome or lupus, and is sometimes known as “The Great Imitator” because of this. 

Symptoms can play a key role in diagnosing Lyme disease. Due to the lack of an accurate diagnostic test, many patients are diagnosed based on a combination symptoms and diagnostic testing. This makes it extremely important for patients to keep track of all the symptoms they experience, to share with their healthcare provider. Lyme disease symptoms can vary based on stage of the disease (early, late, post-treatment, or chronic) and if other tick-borne infections are present and can change over time.

Symptoms in acute Lyme disease:

Acute Lyme disease (aka: early localized LD) occurs days to weeks after the initial tick bite and infection, in which the bacteria have not yet spread from the site of infection in the skin.

The most common symptoms in acute (aka: early localized) Lyme disease are the ones people are most familiar with. Because they are symptoms often shared with other illnesses, however, it’s important to recognize that they could mean Lyme and you should see a Lyme-treating physician right away.

- Erythema migrans rash or EM rash. This rash begins at the site of the tick bite about a week after the bite, and gradually expands.

Note: The center of the rash may clear, giving the rash the appearance of a “bulls-eye.” Rashes may take on many different shapes and not all rashes will have a bulls-eye appearance. There can be multiple rashes on the body. While a rash is characteristic of Lyme disease, many people will not develop a rash at all.

- Fever

- Fatigue

- Aches

- Chills

- Swollen lymph nodes

- Other flu-like symptoms

Symptoms in early disseminated Lyme disease:

Early disseminated Lyme disease occurs days to months after infection, in which the bacteria have begun to spread. There is a wide range of possible symptoms at this stage, including:

- Severe headaches and neck stiffness

- Arthritis, especially in the knees or other large joints

- Muscle aches and pains

- Heart palpitations or shortness of breath (Lyme carditis)

- Facial paralysis on one or both sides (also known as Bell’s palsy)

- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

- Extreme fatigue

Symptoms in late stage Lyme disease:

Late stage Lyme disease, which can include post-treatment, chronic, and neurological, occurs months to years after infection, in which the bacteria have spread throughout the body.

The symptoms of late disseminated disease are similar to those of early disseminated disease, but may be more extensive, more severe, and longer lasting. Late symptoms may also include:

- neurologic features including vertigo or dizziness,

- difficulty sleeping

- mental fogginess

- difficulty following conversations

- difficulty processing information

A blood test may be positive for several reasons: 

First, the positive test may indicate that the person was infected previously by the agent of Lyme disease and the immune system mounted a successful attack which resulted in the long-term production of antibodies against the agent of Lyme disease. That's why tests can stay positive for months to years, even when active infection is no longer present. We expect, however, that over time the ELISA titer should decrease in magnitude.

Second, a positive test may also indicate that there is a small amount of persistent infection that is continuing to partially stimulate the immune system. The residual organism may not be biologically active; i.e., it might be in a latent or dormant state and thus not causing any disease symptoms. In this case, the ELISA titer may stay elevated for long periods without a gradual decline.

Third, a positive test may be a false positive, especially if the positive test is only an ELISA. It is well known for example that concurrent viral infections (such as Epstein-Barr) may result in a false positive Lyme ELISA. If the positive test is an IgG Western blot or a C6 Lyme ELISA, it is very unlikely that either test would be falsely positive.

Fourth, a positive test may indicate that you did have some of the signs or symptoms of Lyme disease in the past but didn't recognize the problem as Lyme disease. You may have then been treated with antibiotics for another reason and this may have led to a resolution of the Lyme disease without your awareness of ever having had Lyme disease.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

shield icon

We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image