Important Information about Lyme Disease Everyone Needs to Know

Here is everything you need to know to about Lyme disease: its  definition, its alternative name, its causes, its symptoms, its  examinations and tests, and its treatment.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease that is widespread in the  Northern Hemisphere. It derived its name from the town, Lyme, located in  Connecticut, where many got this disease in 1975. To have a general  idea of this infectious disease, have a look at the following  information.

Its definition

Lyme disease is an infectious  disease brought about by three bacteria species of the genus Borrelia.

Its alternative name

Another name for Lyme disease is Borreliosis.

Its causes

This disease came about because of the bacterium known as Borrelia  burgdorferi. There are particular ticks carrying this kind of bacteria.  When these ticks bit deer or mice that were infected with this disease,  the bacteria are then transmitted to them. The disease spreads to you  should you be bitten by a tick infected with Lyme. This disease can be  classified into three stages:

* Stage I – primary Lyme disease
* Stage II – secondary Lyme disease
* Stage III – tertiary Lyme disease

Higher risk comes from these factors:

* Having tick-infected pets in your household.
* Exposing yourself to certain activities, such as gardening, hiking, or  hunting, that are most likely to expose you to carriers of this  disease.
* Going for walks in tall grasses.

Its symptoms

In some cases, there are individuals who will not get sick even  though they have been infected with the bacteria. For those who do get  ill, initial symptoms are similar to that of a flu and include the  following:

* Fever
* Headache
* Chills
* Muscle pain
* Lethargy

A “bull’s eye” rash can appear at the tick bite site. It is a red  spot and can be somewhat raised or sometimes flat. Most of the time,  there is a clear portion in the middle of the spot that can grow bigger  than 1 to 3 inches.

People who have a later stage Lyme disease are likely to manifest the  following symptoms:

* Joint inflammation
* Stiff neck
* Itching all over the body
* Peculiar behavior

Its examinations and tests

A blood test is usually required to figure out the antibodies to the  Lyme disease-causing bacteria. Normally, the ELISA test is performed.  Moreover, a Western blood test is used to validate the results of an  ELISA test. A physical examination for those with advance Lyme disease  stage is also needed to check whether there has been any problems  affecting the heart, joint and brain.

Its treatment

It is important to monitor for 30 days a person bitten by a tick. An  antibiotic, in a single dose, is offered to a person bitten by a tick  when these conditions are present:

* The tick is on the body of the person and has been identified by a  physician or a nurse.
* The tick has been on the person for a minimum of 36 hours.
* The person can already start receiving antibiotics anytime in a  72-hour period from the time the tick was removed.
* The individual is above 8 years of age.
* The individual is not breastfeeding nor pregnant.

Those proven to have acquired the disease should take a full course  antibiotics. The particular antibiotic that will be prescribed is based  on the disease stage and the manifestations.