Also can you describe what the treatment is.
Hi .
Lyme disease, sometimes referred to as Lyme infection, is a bacterial illness, transmitted to humans by the bite of deer ticks (Ixodes ticks) carrying a bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease has been reported in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, North Central, and Pacific coastal regions of the United States (see map) and in Europe, where it was first described almost 100 years ago. it is most prevalent in the northeastern states of the United States, with about half of all cases clustered in New York and Connecticut.
Doctors at New Haven's Yale Medical Center first described and named Lyme disease in the United States in the late 1970s. an unexpected number of residents in Lyme, Connecticut, were found to have a "new" and unusual illness.
• Fortunately, less than 5% of tick bites in high-contact areas result in Lyme infections.
• Doctors have learned a great deal about the illness since that original cluster of people was observed. Treatments are available for Lyme disease.
CAUSES OF LYME DISEASE
B. burgdorferi bacteria cause Lyme disease. The bacteria have a complex life cycle, spending part of their life in the deer tick and part in some mammals such as mice and deer.
Humans are not a part of the bacterium's life cycle but can become infected when bitten by the tick.
SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE
1• The initial infection can occur with minimal or no symptoms. But many people experience a flulike primary illness or a characteristic rash several days to a few weeks following a tick bite.
2• The flulike illness usually occurs in the warm weather months when flu (influenza) does not occur.
3• The rash is a red rash that grows in size daily. it is called erythema migrans.
3(a)• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines this rash as a skin lesion that typically begins as a red spot and expands over a period of days to weeks to form a large round lesion, at least 5 cm (about 2 inches) across. A red circular spot which begins within hours and is smaller is usually a reaction to the tick bite.
3(b)• when the rash occurs at the site of the tick bite, it is called a primary lesion. Multiple secondary lesions can occur that are a reaction to the infection and are not due to multiple tick bites. All of these lesions can grow up to the to the size of a football. this growing in size is characteristic of Lyme disease.
3(c)• its shape can be circular or oval.
3(d)• As it grows, the rash can remain red throughout, although it often can develop a clear area. In a minority, it may take on the appearance of a target with multiple rings (alternating red with clear skin). this is known as a bull's eye lesion.
4•Left untreated, symptoms of the primary illness usually will go away on their own within a few weeks although the rash may recur.
5•Later, additional symptoms may occur. The organs affected later may lead to the following conditions:
5(a)• Facial palsy is paralysis of the facial nerve that causes the facial muscles to be uneven (This may get better without treatment.)
5(b)• Meningitis causes headache, fever, and stiff neck
5(c)• Nerve inflammation causes numbness and tingling in the arms or legs
5(d)• Brain swelling (encephalitis) causes learning difficulties, confusion, and dementia
5(e)• Intermittent episodes of arthritis last about a week and usually involve the knee or wrist. These may recur over periods of weeks to months, and if the Lyme disease remains untreated, about 10% of people who have these episodes develop persistent arthritis in the knee. Occasionally, people with Lyme disease can present with an acute arthritis in the knee without a clear history of a rash or other joint complaints.
5(f)• Inflammation of the heart (carditis) results in irregularities in heart rhythm
LYME DISEASE TREATMENT (Self-Care at Home)
Health departments in areas with high rates of infection have undertaken campaigns to raise public awareness of Lyme disease.
• it is known that certain outdoor areas are highly infested with deer ticks and should be avoided if possible — these include woods and brush areas.
• Generally, the tick counts on suburban lawns are much lower.
LYME DISEASE TREATMENT (Medications)
• Doctors will treat primary or early Lyme disease with oral antibiotics including doxycycline, penicillins, or erythromycin.
• Doctors may treat cases of neurological, heart, or arthritic Lyme disease with intravenous antibiotics in the hospital or as an outpatient.
PREVENTION
Please visit emedicinehealth.com/lyme_dise… and find out the ways of prevention.
Take Care. Regards.