Lyme
Disease Information
Now that spring and warmer weather is finally here, bug bites
are a certainty. Lyme disease is caused by bites from deer
ticks found mainly in the Northeast, Midwest , and coastal regions of the
U.S., particularly in grassy or wooded areas. The disease, discovered in 1975,
is a serious bacterial infection that may cause lifelong arthritis and a certain
type of heart disease known as carditis. The incidence of Lyme disease has
doubled in the U.S. since 1991. With tick season in full force during the
months of May, June, and July -- the CDC recommends parents take precautions
to reduce the chances of their children being bitten by a tick.
The
CDC offers the following advice:
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Wear light-colored clothing so ticks
will be clearly visible and can be easily removed.
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Keep ticks from reaching the skin
by wearing long-sleeved shirts. Also, tuck pants into socks or boot tops.
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Wear rubber boots, since ticks are
close to the ground.
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Protect exposed skin with insect repellents
containing DEET; applying permethrin to clothes will kill ticks on contact.
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Make yards less suitable for deer,
rodents, and ticks.
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Remove leaf litter as well as brush-and-wood
piles around houses and at the edges of yards. Clear trees and brush to
allow more sunlight to the yard.
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Install a barrier of wood chips where
lawn meets forest; ticks don't survive well on chips.
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Remove any plants that attract deer.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease ( Lyme borreliosis) is caused by a bacterial infection
that is spread by ticks. You may develop Lyme disease if you are bitten by
an infected tick. Your risk of developing Lyme disease increases if the infected
tick stays attached to your skin for 36 to 48 hours. Lyme disease is the most
common disease transmitted by an insect in the United States .
What causes Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.
When ticks are infected with this bacteria, they can transmit it by biting
humans or animals. Once infected with this bacteria, you may develop Lyme
disease in a few days or weeks. In the nymph stage, a tick is about the size
of a pinhead and its bite is painless. Lyme disease is usually spread by ticks
in this early stage of development ( nymphal stage). Once engorged with blood
the tick is somewhat larger and more visible. Adult ticks are also larger
and can transmit the disease, but since they are larger and more likely to
be seen and removed from the body within a few hours, therefore they are less
likely than nymphs to have enough time to transmit the infection. The risk
of Lyme disease is highest during the spring, summer, and early fall months
(May through August), when young ( nymphal stage) ticks are
most active and people spend more time outdoors. If you find a tick, remove
it by pulling steadily and firmly. Grasp the tick with fine-tipped tweezers,
as close to the skin as possible, and pull slowly. Do not try to burn a tick
off with a hot match or coat the tick with Vaseline or nail polish. Once the
tick is removed, wash the area with soap and water, and apply an antibiotic
ointment. Observe the site periodically thereafter.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
The symptoms of Lyme disease in part depend on the stage of
the disease. There are three stages:
-
In
the first stage the most common symptom is a rash, and
the rash is fairly distinctive, it's a very large red rash, usually flat,
usually not very itchy and it's not very painful and it sometimes takes
the form of a target or a bull's-eye. Up to 80% of people with Lyme disease
develop a circular rash at the site of the tick bite. However, that means
20% of individuals will not have a rash. Other early-stage symptoms include
fevers and chills.
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The symptoms in the second
stage depends on which system is affected. These include neurologic
symptoms: headaches; Bell's palsy; weakness in one side of the face; severe
back pain that sometimes will mimic sciatica. The cardiac symptoms include
profound fatigue and a very slow pulse rate. Joint problems will be manifested
by acute arthritis with pain and swelling. In addition, some individuals
will experience eye irritation problems.
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In the third and last stage,
most of the symptoms are either nervous system or joint symptoms. The nervous
system symptoms can be fatigue, forgetfulness, irritability, problems speaking,
focusing or concentrating. The joint symptoms in the late stages is more
arthritis, swelling, and pain.
Lyme disease may be diagnosed based on your symptoms, your medical
history, and whether you have been exposed to infected ticks. Blood tests may
be used to confirm a diagnosis but are not usually necessary or practical for
every tick bite. Most people who get bitten by a tick will not develop Lyme
disease.
What is the treatment for Lyme disease?
If Lyme disease is diagnosed early, antibiotic
treatment usually gets rid of the infection quickly and completely so that
no further complications develop. If Lyme disease goes undetected or is not
properly treated, problems involving the skin, joints, nervous system, and
heart may develop weeks, months, or even years later. These problems usually
improve after antibiotic treatment, but in rare cases the disease may cause
permanent damage. Recent studies show that most people with Lyme disease who
are diagnosed early and treated appropriately with antibiotics have no long-term
disabilities resulting from the disease.