Lyme is a very complicated disease. some people seem to have straightforward symptoms (bull's-eye rash, flu-like symptoms) that are caught early, treated with antibiotics, and the person appears to be cured. Others don't fall into such neat categories. Symptoms may be all over the map, lab testing can miss many cases, the standard course of antibiotics may not actually get rid of the disease. Add into the mix the fact that many doctors don't really know much about the disease–and you're potentially in quite a pickle. if you think you might have Lyme, you need to educate yourself about what's involved. Good luck!
Here's what I found:
Greater than 90% of cases are reported in three areas:
* Northeast, from Massachusetts to Maryland.
* North Central States, mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
* West Coast. particularly Northern California.
Because the symptoms are random and vague (aside from a bull's-eye rash), Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose. it mimics other diseases, such as the flu and arthritis, and there is often a long time lapse between symptoms.
The treatment of choice for early-stage Lyme disease is a 21-day course of oral antibiotics, which usually kills the bacteria and prevents later symptoms. People treated early in the infection usually recover rapidly and completely.
Even if not diagnosed in the early stages, the disease can still be successfully treated with antibiotics.
I had Lyme's disease when I was young. they misdiagnosed it as Mono, or something like that. when they actually found out what I had, I had to take antibiotics for a few weeks. I didn't have any serious symptoms, but I still can't run or jump (and stairs can be a b*tch), because I have bad knee joints as a result. that was 8 years ago, but I'm sure with speedy treatment no serious long term effects should be present.