Overview

Lyme disease is that the results of infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi . The disease is transmitted by infected ticks that also prey on mice and deer. The tick are often found attached to the skin in many cases. Most cases of Lyme disease occur within the spring and summer months.

Lyme disease, in most cases, are often eliminated with antibiotics, especially if treatment is started when symptoms are first noted.

Lyme disease is divided into 3 phases:

Early localized:

Symptoms start a few days to a month after a tick bite. The classic "bull's eye" lesion doesn't got to develop for a diagnosis of Lyme disease . If left untreated, the disease can spread to the lymph nodes.

Early disseminated:

Multiple skin lesions are seen, along side flu-like symptoms and head, neck and joint pain. There can also be heart or nerve symptoms also as arthritis, which may develop over a couple of months to up to 2 years after the initial infection.

Late:

The heart, joints, and systema nervosum are often affected. Symptoms can develop over a couple of months to years after the initial infection and should be difficult to treat.

Who's at risk?

Lyme disease is transmitted by infected ticks and can't be "caught" from an infected person. Individuals who spend a lot of time in or near wooded areas are at a higher risk for contracting Lyme disease. Lyme disease is reported most often in the Northeastern US from Maine to Maryland, in the Midwest in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in the West in Oregon and Northern California. It has also been reported in China, Europe, Japan, Australia, and the parts of the former Soviet Union.

Signs and Symptoms

Sometimes the tick are often found attached to the skin. Bite marks may not necessarily be visible.

Erythema migrans, the classic unraised red "bull's-eye" lesion on the skin, will appear days to weeks after the bite. However, about 25% of affected people never get this lesion. Some may complain of flu-like symptoms, including fever; head, neck, and joint pain; and generalized muscle pain. The lesion will resolve without treatment in a few month.

Weeks to months later the bacterium can affect the joints, heart, and systema nervosum .

The late phase of Lyme disease also can affect the joints, heart, and systema nervosum . In the heart, there can be an abnormal heart rhythm. The face can become paralyzed (facial muscle paralysis), and you'll have confusion and abnormal sensations of the skin like numbness, tingling, a prickling sensation, or pain. There are often inflammation within the joints, or arthritis, beginning with swelling, stiffness, and pain, commonly affecting the knees.

Self-Care Guidelines

If you think you've got had a tick bite and should have contracted Lyme disease , call your doctor. If you have found a tick on your skin and removed it, you may want to save the tick in a small container of alcohol so that it can be used for identification.

Ticks begin transmitting Lyme disease about 24–48 hours after attaching to the host. You can reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease by removing the tick within 48 hours.

To remove the tick, you will need tweezers and isopropyl alcohol.

Ø     Sterilize the tweezers with alcohol, and make sure to wash your hands. You should not clean or disturb the skin near the tick.

Ø     Grasp the part of the tick that is embedded in the skin with the tweezers, not the body where you may see tiny legs.

Ø     The tick will likely be firmly embedded. Pull it outward in one motion. Do not twist or jerk the tweezers. Do not apply anything to the tick that you think may help it come out smoothly as this may result in a part of the tick being left in the skin.

Ø     Clean the bite wound with alcohol. If you're unsure if the whole tick has been removed, see your doctor.

Observe the bitten area for the looks of a rash for up to a month after the bite. It is probably best to call your doctor for further guidance if you think you have been bitten by a tick. If a rash or other early symptoms of Lyme disease develop, see a physician immediately.

When to Seek Medical Care

It is probably best to call your doctor for further guidance if you think you have been bitten by a tick. If a rash or other early symptoms of Lyme disease develop, see a physician immediately.

Treatments Your Physician May Prescribe

Lyme disease can be treated and cured with one of several oral antibiotics for 3–4 weeks. The skin rash will go away within a few days of beginning treatment, but other symptoms may persist for up to a few weeks. In severe cases of Lyme disease where the nervous system is involved, the antibiotic may need to be given intravenously. In late stage Lyme disease, symptoms may not go away completely, but should improve.

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