Lyme Disease

Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis is an infection which derives from a tick bite. It is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is travelled by deer ticks and western black-legged ticks (found mainly on the Pacific Coast). These ticks can spread the disease to animals and humans by tick bites. The tick has three life phases: larva, nymph and adult. Each stage takes a single blood meal. The bite is hurtless hence most victims do not know they have been bitten.

Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease differentiated by a skin rash, joint inflammation, and flu-like symptoms. Risk factors for Lyme disease involve walking in high grasses, other activities which increase tick exposure, and having a pet which may carry ticks home. Lyme disease can cause anomalies in the skin, joints, heart and nervous system. Though in endemic areas, not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria which cause Lyme disease, and only a small percentage of people or pets bitten by a deer tick actually become sick. The number of cases of the disease in an area accounts on the amount of ticks in an area and how often the ticks are infected with the bacteria.

Lyme disease is an occupational matter for people who work outdoors in certain areas infested with ticks. Most people with Lyme disease have many red spots. The rash may burn, hurt or itch, or you may not feel it. In around 50% of the cases a characteristic rash or lesion known as erythema migrans is seen. It initiates a few days to a few weeks after the bite of an infected tick. The rash normally looks like an expanding red ring.

Lyme disease is diagnosed accounted on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the eventuality of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Nonetheless early detection is difficult when the characteristic rash is not present, and even those who are diagnosed and treated early may remain symptomatic. A few months to years after the bite, joint inflammation, neurological symptoms, and betimes heart symptoms may happen. Many cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics.

Causes of Lyme disease

The common reasons and risk factor's of Lyme disease include the following:

• A bacterium names as " Borrelia burgdorferi ."
• Another bacterium, Borrelia afzelii, also causes Lyme disease.
• Risk factors for Lyme disease involve walking in high grasses, other activities that increase tick exposure, and having a pet that may carry ticks home.
• Having exposed skin.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

Some sign and symptoms associated to Lyme disease are as follows:

• Flu-like symptoms.
• Muscle pain (myalgia).
• Low grade fevers.
• Lethargy.
• Joint pain with or without frank arthritis.
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Stiff neck.
• Sleep disturbance.
• Night sweats.
• Short-term memory loss.

Treatment of Lyme disease

Here is list of the methods for treating Lyme disease:

• Lyme disease is cured with antibiotics.
• Prompt treatment with drugs, such as tetracycline, can rapidly clear up the early symptoms and prevent serious complications.
• Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, are sometimes adviced to alleviate joint stiffness.
• Persons with certain neurological or cardiac forms of illness may need intravenous treatment with penicillin or ceftriaxone.
• Oral doxycycline (eg Vibramycin) (except in children), amoxicillin (eg Amoxil) or cephalosporin antibiotics are the usual first choices.
• Judicious use of environmental insecticides to kill ticks may be important in some areas.

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