If you want to know everything about Lyme disease, you have to research its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and even its complications.
Lyme disease is not considered an epidemic. Still, it would be helpful to know its properties, so that you can prevent it or treat it properly, and avoid any future risks.
Nature and infection of Lyme disease
Lyme disease is eponymously named after Lyme, Connecticut, the place where it was first discovered in 1975. The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria are the culprit behind this inflammatory disease. Humans contact Lyme disease when they get bitten by an infected tick. One common type of tick that can spread Lyme disease is the deer tick. Humans get infected by Lyme disease typically in late spring or the onset of summer.
Symptoms of Lyme disease
An infected tick s bite usually causes a circular skin rash called erythema migrans, also known as bull s eye rash, on the infected person after some days or weeks from the time of the bite. After several days, the rash may increase in size. Aside from the rash, you might feel some other Lyme symptoms that resemble the common flu such as headaches, chills, muscle and joint pains, and fever. Rashes do not always accompany the flu like symptoms; in some cases, only the latter is present.
In as early as a month, Lyme disease symptoms can become worse if they remain undiagnosed and untreated. The frequency and severity of your headaches will increase, and other symptoms like numbness or pain in your limbs, palpitations, and fainting can occur. Memory problems may start to appear as poor memory retention and concentration. The symptoms would worsen with the passage of time if proper care and effective medical treatments are not administered.
How Lyme disease is diagnosed
To properly diagnose Lyme disease, contact your doctor as soon as the symptoms begin to appear. Your physician usually identifies Lyme disease through your symptoms, especially with the presence of the rash and your personal history of a tick bite. The ELISA blood test and western blot are also important laboratory evaluations conducted for diagnosing Lyme disease properly.
How Lyme disease is treated
If Lyme disease is diagnosed at an earlier stage, it can be cured using oral antibiotics like amoxicillin doxycycline, tetracycline, phenoxymethyl, penicillin or cefuroxime. Other oral antibiotics may be also administered together with erythromycin and azithromycin. Generally, patients who experience neurological or cardiac complications at the start or during the late phase of Lyme disease will have to get intravenous antibiotics.
Complications of Lyme disease
Lyme disease, when left undetected and unattended or if medication fails to work, can lead to long term complications and health problems. Even the neuromuscular and circulatory systems could be severely affected by Lyme disease. This in turn will cause the patient to experience severe fatigue, chronic arthritis, paralysis of the facial nerves (Bell s palsy), inflammation and enlargement of the heart and meningitis.
Lyme disease prevention
Prevention is always the best option when handling infection rather than curing it after being acquired. To avoid getting infected with Lyme disease, make sure you cover yourself when going to grassy and woody areas where ticks are most commonly found. Wearing extra protection, such as long sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, shoes, and a cap is recommended. If you go out for camping or hiking, make sure you check your body routinely to find the presence of any ticks. Once you are back inside, take a bath and get rid of any ticks that may have gotten stuck on your body.
Lyme disease is relatively uncommon; therefore, you don t have to stop doing your outdoor routines. You mustn t let your fear of Lyme disease keep you from taking part in your favorite outdoor recreations and interests. In order to avoid long term problems associated with Lyme disease, you should be knowledgeable with the illness including its symptoms and what ways to prevent it.
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