Understanding Lyme Disease
What Is Lyme Disease? It Is a bacterial disease transmitted mainly through tick bite. The Illness Is also called borreliosis, and spirochete bacteria from the genus Borrelia are the main cause.
The disease comes from a range of deer ticks or blacklegged ticks like Borrelia burgdorferi, Ixodes dammini, Amblyomma americanum, Ixodes scapularis and many more. Both man and animal can acquire the disease. There are at least 37 Borrelia species while 12 are related to the condition. In the United States alone, this Illness Is the top Infectious disease In terms of spread rate. Out of every 100,000 Individuals, 7.9 have the disease. 49 states report having cases of the disease. Other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and other European nations also have Lyme Disease as the most common tick borne Illness. The type of tick also varies depending on the geographical region. Other animal species like flies, mosquitoes, fleas and lizards are also suggested to successfully transmit the disease to human beings. Types of Ticks Borrelia burgdorferi Is the most prevalent type of tick found In deer and the white tailed mouse. Borrelia afzelii Is found In rodents like rats and Is more common In Europe. Borrelia garinii and Borrelia valaisiana are found In birds. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto are found both In rodents and birds and are common In Colombia and Bolivia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato are found In lizards and are common In Germany, Poland, England and Japan. The genus Ixodes Is also highly associated with Lyme disease. Ixodes dammini Is the most common In the United States and are found In grassy and woody places. The most common tick types go through three life stages namely: larva, nymph and adult. It takes around two years and three different hosts during the entire process. The tick feeds once during each life stage on rats, dogs, deer, cows and even human beings. The nymph stage Is regarded as the part where Lyme disease Is transmitted. Ticks are usually found on the head, neck, toes and armpits where there Is enough moisture and warmth. The Early Symptoms About 80% of Lyme Disease Incidences are characterized by a rash or lesion that looks like a bull’s-eye. The pattern Is called erythema migrans which develops anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after being bitten by an Infected tick. Tick bite Is almost unnoticeable since It Is painless. The rash can appear like a growing red ring, a bull’s eye with a light ring surrounded by a dark one or fully red and round. The Insect bite Is the cardinal sign of Lyme disease but Is sometimes hard to diagnose since the bacteria needs to be magnified 400 times to be detected. Together with the rash, other symptoms Indicative of flu like sore throat, muscle pain, fatigue and headache may also appear. It Is possible to get flu like symptoms without the presence of a rash and vice versa. Incubation period lasts around 1 or 2 weeks while It Is also possible for It to delay up to several years before symptoms appear. Uncommon symptoms Include palpitations, heart block and altered mental state (neuroborreliosis).
The Late Symptoms Untreated early symptoms can last for a few months up to several years then may disappear. Complications and late symptoms will then follow which are more severe and long lasting. Common chronic symptoms are muscle and joint pain and neurological symptoms like burning and tingling sensation In the extremities, meningitis, depression and fatigue. Meningoencephalitis, myocarditis and frank arthritis are common manifestations In chronic Lyme disease. Other organs like the lungs, heart and stomach may also be affected. Chronic Lyme Disease can be misdiagnosed at times because the symptoms are similar to several other known Illnesses. Other neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms due to swelling and Increased pressure In the brain can also manifest like muscle twitching, paresthesia, memory loss, difficulty sleeping and changes In affect or mood. Other neurological problems can develop like encephalitis, encephalomyelitis and Bell’s palsy. The affected person may also present problems In sexuality like breast or testicular pain, sexual dysfunction and loss of libido. Other related symptoms may also arise like sudden weight gain or loss, swollen lymph nodes, high fever or chills, hypersensitivity to alcohol, eye and kidney Infection and photosensitivity. Testing For The Disease Tests look for the presence of the bacteria transmitted by ticks. The microscopic bacteria need to be found to confirm that a patient has the disease since several symptoms are also very similar to other types of Illnesses. Before any diagnostic procedure Is done, doctors will take the patient’s medical history and physical exam to check If there are any possible Instances where the patient might have been Infected by ticks. Antibody tests aim to find the antibody that specifically fights the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi or whichever pathogen that may have been transmitted. Antibodies are formed after the human body detects bacterial presence and can stay for as long as a few months up to several years. PCR or polymerase chain reaction test Is done to detect the DNA or genetic makeup of the spirochete bacteria that cause the disease. At present, a PCR test Is the only practical means of detecting Borrelia. For late stages of Lyme Disease, PCR and antibodies present In the cerebrospinal fluid are no longer reliable due to the diffuse encephalopathy. Instead of Intrathecal and serological testing, Imaging scans are done to check the spread of Infection In the brain. Treatment Antibiotic treatment Is primary for this disease since It Is due to bacterial Infection. There are a lot of medicines available such as penicillin, amoxicillin, doxycycline and macrolide antibiotics. Initially, Individuals may take doxycycline for 3 days If a tick has been removed from any part of the body and thought to have remained for at least 12 hours. If the Initial rash sign emerges In 2 to 6 weeks, doxycycline can then be taken for ten days concurrently with diagnostic tests. In earlier stages, antibiotics are usually taken orally. If the disease Is detected or diagnosed late, antibiotics may be prescribed to be taken orally or Intravenously. Ceftriaxone and Minocycline are effective drugs at this point since bacterial Infection may have already crossed the blood brain barrier. The drugs are to be taken In 4 gram dosages for 4 weeks. Antibiotics usually are able to successfully treat acute Lyme Disease or disease In Its early stages. However, If the condition continues to progress or remains untreated for a long time, antibiotic treatment may not be able to alleviate the growing symptoms. There are also symptoms that are not relieved by antibiotics thus requiring different medications. This disease Is very controversial due to Its nature, characteristics, treatment regimen and the various responses of affected patients. Health agencies throughout the world are continuously trying to find ways to Inform people about prevention and treatment. There are also several devices manufactured specifically to alleviate symptoms of Lyme. Since there Is no absolute cure, groups and Institutions are willing to help patients cope with the long-term effects. Their are a lot more treatments available such as the Rife Machine, Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, and Ozone Therapy to name some. My eBook "The guide To Understanding Lyme Disease" deals with these treatments and goes Into a lot more detail on the disease. You can get your copy of the book HERE
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