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Lyme Disease Symptoms, Treatment & Lyme Disease InfoWhat is Lyme Disease?Lyme disease infected almost twenty thousand people in the United States in 2004. Most cases were in the Northeast, the upper Midwest, and Pacific Northwest. Twenty six percent of Lyme disease cases in 2004 were in New York State; twenty percent were in Pennsylvania; fourteen percent were in New Jersey.The disease is also found in Europe, parts of Asia, and Australia. With this large of an impact, basic knowledge of Lyme disease is important, but too many people know little about it. Lyme disease is an infectious bacterial disease named after Lyme, Connecticut. It was there that in 1975 that doctors first linked Lyme disease's multiple symptoms to single bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. Previously, the symptoms were thought to have several causes. These bacteria are carried by deer ticks, or black-legged ticks, that live in wooded areas and feed off the blood of other animals, including humans. When the tick feeds, the bacteria are transmitted into the animal or human's bloodstream and the infection begins. Because ticks and people are most active in the summer months, Lyme disease infections are most common in June, July, and August. The most obvious symptom is a circular red rash known as an erythema migrans or EM that often resembles a bull's eye, but is painless and doesn't itch. Other early symptoms include fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, and severe fatigue. When left untreated, Lyme disease often causes arthritis, joint inflammation, and may cause cardiac and nervous system damage. Lyme disease is easily diagnosed in its early stages by the peculiar rash and evidence of a tick bite. Early blood work is not reliable because antibody levels are too low, but is integral to diagnosing the disease in later stages. Although cases of Lyme disease have been known to longer for years after the initial infection, proper medical treatment, especially soon after infection, treats most patients in two to four weeks. Even advanced cases are normally treated successfully with oral and intravenous antibiotics. Only in rare cases do symptoms persist after antibiotic treatments. Lyme disease can be prevented by avoiding or eliminating wooded and bushy areas where infected ticks live. Wearing protective clothing and insect repellent is suggested when entering these areas. Anyone entering these areas should closely inspect their entire body, especially the armpits, scalp, and groin for ticks. If any attached ticks are found, remove them with tweezers and watch the bite site for signs of a rash. Filed under: Lyme Disease Symptoms, Treatment & Lyme Disease Info |
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