Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia bacterium. Humans often contract Lyme disease through the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria.
Ticks capable of carrying Borrelia bacteria are found throughout the United States. However, Lyme disease is most widespread in the upper Midwest, northeastern, and mid-Atlantic areas. It is also common in Europe, as well as South Central and Southeast Canada.
If you spend time in places where ticks reside, such as grassy, brushy, or forested regions, you are at risk of contracting Lyme disease. Taking safety precautions in these regions can reduce the risk of Lyme disease.
As news reports suggest Lyme spread is intensifying, let us understand the disease better and look for prevention and cure,
Signs and Symptoms of Lyme
A tick bite may appear as a little, itchy bump on your skin, similar to a mosquito bite. This does not indicate that you have a tick-borne disease. Many people will not detect a tick bite.
The symptoms of Lyme illness vary. They frequently appear in stages. However, the stages can overlap. Some people might not exhibit typical early-stage symptoms.
Stage 1
Early Lyme disease symptoms often appear within 3 to 30 days of a tick bite. This stage of sickness has a limited range of symptoms. This is known as an early localized illness.
A rash is a common indicator of Lyme illness. But it does not always happen. The rash is typically a single circle that gradually expands from the location of the tick bite. It may become visible in the middle, resembling a target or bullseye. The rash is often warm to the touch, although it is rarely unpleasant or bothersome.
Other stage 1 symptoms include:
- Fever.
- Headache.
- Extreme tiredness.
- Joint stiffness.
- Muscle aches and pains.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
Stage 2
Without treatment, Lyme illness might worsen. The symptoms usually appear within 3 to 10 weeks of a tick bite. Stage 2 is typically more dangerous and widespread. It’s called early disseminated illness.
Stage 2 may include the stage 1 symptoms and the following:
- Many rashes appear in other parts of the body.
- Neck pain or stiffness.
- Muscle weakness on either side of the face.
- Immune system activation in cardiac tissue produces irregular heartbeats.
- Pain starts in the back and hips and travels to the legs.
- Pain, numbness, or weakness in the hands and feet.
- Eye or eyelid tissues swell painfully.
- Pain or vision loss is caused by immune system activation in the ocular nerves.
Stage 3
In the third stage, you may have symptoms from previous phases as well as new symptoms. This stage is known as late disseminated disease.
In the United States, the most frequent condition at this period is arthritis in major joints, notably the knees. Pain, edema, or stiffness can last for a long time. Alternatively, the symptoms may come and go. Stage 3 symptoms usually appear two to twelve months following a tick bite.
Lyme disease, which is common in Europe, can induce a skin disorder known as acrodermatitis chronic atrophicans. The skin on the backs of the hands and tops of the feet becomes discolored and swollen. It may also appear above the elbows and knees. More extreme cases may harm tissues or joints.
This skin condition may show up many months to many years after a tick bite.
Is Lyme disease contagious?
There is no reliable scientific evidence that Lyme disease is transmitted by touching, kissing, or sexual contact. Published animal studies do not support sexual transmission (Moody 1991; Woodrum 1999), and the biology of the Lyme disease spirochete is incompatible with this mode of exposure (Porcella 2001).
Untreated Lyme disease during pregnancy can infect the placenta; transmission from mother to fetus is conceivable but highly unlikely. Fortunately, with proper antibiotic therapy, there is no increased risk of poor delivery outcomes. There are no published studies examining the developmental effects on children whose moms contracted Lyme disease while pregnant.
There have been no reports of Lyme disease being transmitted to infants through breast milk. If you have Lyme disease and are breastfeeding, tell your doctor so he or she can prescribe an antibiotic that is safe to use while breastfeeding.
Although no cases of Lyme illness have been connected to blood transfusions, scientists have shown that the Lyme disease bacteria can survive in blood preserved for donation. Antibiotic-treated Lyme disease patients should not donate blood. Individuals who have completed antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease may be considered suitable blood donors.
Although dogs and cats can have Lyme disease, there is no evidence that they directly transmit the virus to their owners. However, pets can introduce diseased ticks into your home or yard. Consider safeguarding your pet with tick and tick-borne disease prevention products for animals.
Although eating game meat will not give you this disease, you should always cook it thoroughly in accordance with normal food safety principles. Hunting and dressing game animals may put you in close contact with infected ticks.
There is no reliable evidence that Lyme disease bacteria may be transferred by the air, food, or water, or via mosquito, fly, flea, or lice bites.
Diagnosis and Tests of Lyme Disease
A healthcare provider will diagnose Lyme disease based on symptoms, physical findings (such as a rash), and whether you have been in an area with infected ticks.
Many people don’t recall or realize they’ve been bitten by a tick. This is because the tick is small, and the bite is usually painless.
Your doctor will confirm the diagnosis with a blood test. If your initial blood test for Lyme disease is negative, you will not require another test. If the first test is positive or equivocal, your provider will repeat the test. To be diagnosed with Lyme disease, two positive (or equivocal) findings are required.
Take preventive steps and get yourself tested here-
- Personalabs Healthy Selfie | Health Risk Assestment. Book Appointment Now
- HEALTHLABS. Book Appointment Now
Management and Treatment
Antibiotics, typically doxycycline or amoxicillin, are effective therapies for Lyme disease. The duration of your treatment varies according to the stage of infection. In general, it is true that the sooner you receive treatment, the faster and more complete your recovery.
People who are pregnant should also be treated for the disease. There is no indication that a fetus can contract the virus from its parent. There is also no convincing evidence that miscarriages are more common following this disease.
Prevention
Can Lyme disease be prevented?
Most Lyme disease cases occur in the late spring, summer, and early fall, when young ticks are out eating. Winter tick bites are uncommon in warm climates.
Deer ticks are mostly found in woodland regions and surrounding grasslands. They are most frequent where the two places intersect, such as in residential yards where deer occasionally roam. Ticks do not live long on sunny lawns. They dehydrate soon and perish.
Although only around 1% of all deer ticks carry Lyme disease-causing bacteria, in other places, more than half of the ticks have the bacterium. Diseased ticks are commonly found in the northeast and upper Midwest of the United States. Ticks are often found in coastal locations.
Black-legged ticks can contract the virus from animals other than deer. Mice, voles, and certain squirrels can spread the bacteria.
Note: This article is for reference purpose only. For more information and validation please consult your doctor
