Lyme disease refers to the highly infectious disease, triggered by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (B.burgdorferi). These bacteria are transmitted to humans when they get bitten by a deer tick or black-legged tick. How does the tick become infected? It happens when they feed on the blood from infected mice, birds, or deer. To transmit the bacteria int your body, the tick has to remain on your skin for at least 36 hours. Want to know more about it? Then, read ahead to get the right information and take appropriate steps to deal with the infectious disease.

About Lyme Disease

You need to know that ticks and diseases caused by them such as Lyme disease are not new. It has infected people thousands of years back. You will feel interested to note that a recent autopsy performed on a mummy more than five thousand years old has indicated the presence of the bacteria triggering this infectious disease. Before its official recognition, Alfred Buchwald, a German physician described the chronic skin rash also referred to as erythema migrans. But, people became aware of this infectious disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi around the 1960s and the 1970s. This infectious disease became a world knowledge in Old Lyme, a town in Connecticut in the year 1975.

Today, it is known as the most common disease caused due to ticks in the USA and Europe. It is more common in people spending or living in wooded areas. It promotes the easy transmission of the tick on the skin of the people. This disease is also common among people coming in contact with domesticated animals that spend a lot of time in the wooded areas. Such people face a higher risk of suffering from Lyme disease.

Stages Of Lyme Disease

The symptoms observed by people affected by the condition depend on the stage of the disease. The progression of the infection varies from one person to another. Some people may go through all the stages, while others may skip certain stages. Here are the stages and symptoms linked to the disease.

Stage 1: Early Localized Disease

Once the tickle bites, you can see the symptoms developing at least one to two weeks after the bite. The earliest signs linked to the condition are developing a bullâ€™s eye rash. What is different about this rash? You develop it at the exact site of the tick bite in most cases. But, it is not always the case. This rash has a central red spot surrounded by a clear spot. At the edge, you can see an area of redness. While the rash may feel warm to the touch, you may not suffer from itching sensation or pain. It usually fades in most people. This name is formally named erythema migrans. It is the characteristic rash associated with Lyme disease. However, most people may not develop a rash with these specifications.

In some people, the rash appears solid red. But, people with dark complexions may develop a rash that seems like a bruise. The rash may occur with or without systemic flu or viral-like signs. At this stage, other symptoms that may develop include the following:

Fever
Chills
Sore throat
Enlarged lymph nodes
Muscle aches
Vision changes
Fatigue
Headaches

Stage 2: Early Disseminated Lyme Disease

It is the stage of the disease developing at least several weeks after the bite. In some people, it takes more than a few months to see symptoms. When the infection enters this stage, you feel unwell for no apparent reason. Also, a rash starts to appear in areas other than the location of the tick bite. When a person goes through this stage of the disease, they can develop a systemic infection. It means the infection spreads throughout the body. It means it starts affecting other organs. During this stage, you can see other symptoms such as:

Erythema multiforme (EM) lesions
See disturbance in the heart rhythm caused by Lyme carditis
Other neurologic conditions such as tingling sensation, numbness, meningitis, and facial/cranial nerve palsies

In most cases, the symptoms of stage 1 and stage 2 overlap. It may differ from one person to another.

Stage 3: Late Disseminated Lyme Disease

It is the condition developing due to not getting proper treatment during stage 1 and stage 2 of the disease. Stage 3 of the disease usually develops months or at times, years after you receive the tick bite. During this stage, you can see one or more of the symptoms such as:

Develop arthritis in one or more large joints in the body
Suffer from brain disorders lie encephalopathy (It causes issues like difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss, mental fogginess, sleep disturbance, and trouble with following conversations)
Develop numbness in the feet, hands, arms, or legs

Lyme Disease Transmission

For transmission of the infectious disease, the tick infected with bacterium B.burgdorferi attaches itself to any part of your body. The ticks usually attach to the areas hard to see. The areas commonly preferred by the ticks are:

Armpits
Scalp
Groin area

For the infected tick to spread the bacterium, it must remain attached to your body for at least 36 hours. Else, it cannot spread the bacterium. In most cases, the disease develops in people who get bitten by nymphs, the immature ticks. The ticks are small and very difficult to detect on the body. These ticks feed during the summer and springtime. While adult ticks can also carry the bacteria, you can see and remove them from the body before they transmit the infection. The infection cannot spread through food, water, or air. No evidence links the transmission of the disease through kissing, touching, or sexual contact.

See A Doctor For Lyme Disease

When should you seek professional assistance? Make an appointment with the doctor as soon you see symptoms of a tick bite on your body. Not all tick bites result in Lyme disease. This infectious disease develops in people when the tick remains attached to their skin for a long time. It is usually the case when the tick remains on your body for more than thirty-six hours. So, if you think you have suffered from a tick bite or develop signs of the condition, especially if you live in an area with high exposure to deer ticks. Early intervention can ensure a better outcome.

Consult Doctor After Disappearance Of Symptoms

You must see a doctor even after the signs from the body disappear.People who think they have received tick bites need to check for the signs and symptoms linked to Lyme disease. It is necessary when you live in an area with a common occurrence of the disease. When you get early treatment for the disease, it can prevent complications linked to it. So, even when you see no symptoms linked to the problem, seek medical advice. You have to see a doctor when you see no symptoms as the absence of symptoms may not mean the infection has gone.
Without proper treatment, the infection can spread to other parts of the body. The spread of infection may take several months to years after you develop an initial infection. It results in problems with the nervous system and in some cases, arthritis. The infected ticks can also trigger other illnesses such as Colorado tick fever or babesiosis. Therefore, it is essential to get medical assistance as early as possible.

Causes Of Lyme Disease

This infectious disease develops due to infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia mayonii and Borellia burgdorferi. The transmission of the bacteria is carried out primarily by deer ticks or black-legged ticks. It is usually carried out by young brown ticks with a size no bigger than a poppy seed. Hence, it becomes difficult to spot them on your pets or your skin.

But, to develop Lyme disease, you need to get a bite from the infected deer tick. When it bites, the bacteria gets an opening on your skin to make its way into your bloodstream. For transmitting this infectious disease, a deer tick must remain attached to the skin for thirty-six to forty-eight hours. If you find a tick looking swollen, it may have fed enough blood from your body to transmit the bacteria. Remove the tick as early as possible and see a doctor prevent infection.

Risk Factors Linked To Lyme Disease

Not everyone suffers from this infectious disease. It is common among people who live or go on vacation in an area with the presence of deer ticks. Hence, for people having a profession or hobby of enjoying outdoor activities, they need to maintain caution. The risk factors increasing the possibility of suffering from Lyme disease include:

Spending Time In Grassy/Wooded Areas

In countries where you can find woody or grassy areas, deer ticks are common. In the US, deer ticks have a presence in the Northeast and Midwest. Children or adults who like to spend a lot of time outdoors in these regions have a high risk of getting bitten by infected deer ticks.

Skin Exposure

Deer ticks bite exposed parts of your skin. They can easily attach to the bare flesh instead of the clothed area. Hence, if you live in a place with the presence of deer ticks, you need to maintain caution by wearing clothes that cover your body. Make sure you protect yourself and your children by wearing long pants and long sleeves. Since deer ticks can transfer through your pets, avoid pets wandering in tall grasses and weeds.

Not Removing The Tick Properly/Promptly

Even if you wander in the woods and attract the ticks, if you remove them quickly, you may suffer from the infectious disease. Deer ticks can cause infection when the bacteria from the tick enter the bloodstream after the bite. This can happen only when the tick stays attached to the skin for 36 hours to 48 hours or longer. The chances of suffering from the infection reduces greatly when you remove the tick within two days.

Complications Due To Lyme Disease

It is important to get treated for Lyme disease as early as possible. Without proper care and treatment, the condition can escalate and result in the following:

Suffer from a cognitive effect like impaired memory
Develop Lyme arthritis, a chronic joint inflammation, especially of the knee
See neurological symptoms, such as neuropathy and facial palsy
Develop heart rhythm irregularities

Diagnosing Lyme Disease

Many signs linked to the condition are similar to other conditions. So, it becomes confusing to diagnose the actual problem. Another thing is that the ticks transmitting Lyme disease can also transmit other diseases. Hence, when you see the signs associated with the condition, make an appointment with the doctor. Here are some of the diagnostic methods used to detect the problem.

Physical Assessment

In most cases, the doctor checks your body for the signs of the rash. It is the characteristic symptom of the disease. But, when the doctor fails to find the rash, you need to offer information regarding the medical history. If you have spent time outdoors in the summer in areas with deer ticks, you need to inform your doctor about it.

Lab Test To Detect Lyme Disease

If your doctor suspects the problem, then you need to provide a sample of your blood for identifying the antibodies linked to the bacteria in the lab. It will either confirm or rule out the diagnosis. Some tests can indicate the issues a few weeks after suffering from the infection. These tests are reliable because, during the time, the body produces antibodies.

ELIZA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) Test

The test used most often to detect Lyme disease, ELISA detects antibodies to B. burgdorferi. But because it can sometimes provide false-positive results, doctors may not use it alone for diagnosing the problem. Unfortunately, the test cannot detect the presence of early stages of the disease. In such cases, the doctors choose physical assessment to check the distinctive rash to conclusively detect the problem. For people living in areas prone to ticks transmitting Lyme disease, the doctors detect the problem with physical assessment alone.

Western Blot Test

It is a diagnostic test confirming Lyme disease. When the Eliza test comes back positive, the doctors suggest Western Blot Test. It is the test used to uncover antibodies linked to proteins of B. burgdorferi.

Treatment For Lyme Disease

It is important to detect the problem early. With early detection and care, you can recover from the disease faster. Doctors treat early-stage disease by giving antibiotics. After the specified course, you get well. But, a severe form of the disease may require antibiotics for an unspecified period. Hence, early intervention can ensure a quicker recovery.

Take Antibiotics

Your doctor can suggest antibiotics to treat the problem. Depending on the severity, the doctor can suggest the method and duration of antibiotics.

Oral Antibiotics

It is the standard treatment suggested for the early stage of the disease. It includes the doctor prescribing doxycycline for adults and children above eight years. Another option is to take cefuroxime or amoxicillin for adults, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children below eight years. The antibiotics are prescribed for two to three weeks. But, some studies indicate that an antibiotic course lasting ten to fourteen days also offers equal effect.

Intravenous Antibiotics To Manage Lyme Disease

For severe cases of the disease that involves the central nervous system, oral antibiotics may not prove effective. In such cases, the doctors recommend intravenous antibiotic treatment. It is suggested for at least fourteen to twenty-eight days. While this treatment option is effective in controlling and eliminating the infection, it may take time to recover. You will see the symptoms fading only after some time.

Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome

While taking intravenous antibiotics, you can develop certain side effects. It is important to know these side effects that include:

Mild to severe diarrhea
Low white blood cell count
Colonization/infection with other unrelated, antibiotic-resistant organisms

It is important to talk to your doctor regarding it and get the right advice. It is also important to distinguish these side effects from other issues known as post-Lyme disease syndrome. What is it? In most cases, Lyme disease is easy to cure by undergoing antibiotic treatment for at least two to four weeks antibiotic course. But, this treatment can cause fatigue, pain, and trouble thinking. These symptoms may last for six months after the treatment completes. This condition is referred to as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).

Causes Of PTLDS

The exact reason why some people suffer from PTLDS remains unclear. But, some experts believe that Borrelia burgdorferi can cause an auto-immune response. It triggers several symptoms that can last for so many days even after the infection goes away. Other experts believe that PTLDS develops due to a persistent but difficult-to-detect infection. Some other people that the symptom due to the problem develops due to causes unrelated to infection caused due to B. burgdorferi.

Treatment For PTLDS

There is no treatment for post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. Patients with PTLDS usually get better over time, but it can take many months to feel completely well. If you have been treated for Lyme disease and still feel unwell, see your healthcare provider discuss additional options for managing your symptoms. If you are considering long-term antibiotic treatment for ongoing symptoms associated with a Lyme disease infection, please talk to your healthcare provider about the possible risks of such treatment.

Preventing Lyme Disease

Instead of suffering from the consequences of the disease, it is better to avoid it. To prevent Lyme disease, you need to avoid the wooded areas that inhabit deer ticks. You must also stay clear of bushy areas with the growth of long grass. If you have to venture into such an area, you have to follow some simple yet effective precautions to avoid deer ticks.

Before Going Out

You need to take precautions before going out. Here are some of the tips you can follow before going outside:

Learn Where To Expect Ticks

You must know the areas where you can expect ticks. In usual cases, ticks live in brushy, grassy, or wooded areas. At times, deer ticks can attach themselves to animals. You must stay away from the area prone to have deer ticks. Stay away from spending time outside camping, hunting, or gardening in places bringing you in close contact with deer ticks.

Cover The Body

When you are walking in a grassy or wooded area, you have to choose clothes and other accessories that can reduce the bite of deer ticks. The trick is not to expose your body. Hence, you need to choose a long-sleeved shirt along with long pants to cover the arms and legs. Use socks, hats, and gloves to cover your feet, head, and hands. You must always stick to the trails and refrain from walking through long grass and low bushes. If you are walking with your dogs, then keep them on a leash.

Use Insect Repellents

If you are going out, then apply an insect repellent. Applying a repellent with at least 20% or higher concentration of DEET to the skin can prevent the insects from coming near you and biting. Parents must make sure they apply repellents to their childâ€™s body parts avoiding their eyes, mouth, and hands. Since the repellents contain toxic chemicals, you need to follow the direction provided on the product carefully.

Treat Clothing And Gear

If you feel uncomfortable applying repellents on your skin, you can use treated clothes or gear. It can keep away ticks. Treat the clothes, boots, and gear you take for camping with 0.5% permethrin. It offers you protection even after washing several times. You can also buy clothing and gear already treated with permethrin.

Steps To Take After You Come Indoors

Once you come back home after your trip outside, you need to follow some steps to eliminate the potential issues caused due to deer ticks. It is needed when you have visited an area prone to such ticks.

Check Your Clothing

Once you get back, you need to check your clothing to detect the presence of ticks. The ticks can come inside the house through your clothing. If you find any, remove them immediately. Then, you need to tumble dry clothes in a dryer. Make sure you maintain high heat for at least ten minutes. Maintain such a high temperature on dry clothing once you come inside the house. For damp clothes, you require additional time. If you wish to wash the clothes first, use hot water for washing. Cold or medium-temperature water will not destroy the ticks from your clothes.

Examine Your Gear

If you have taken camping gear, then examine them carefully once you come back. Ticks can ride home on things you take outside and then attach to a person. Hence, examine the gear, daypacks, and other things you have taken outside.

Shower To Eliminate Risk Of Lyme Disease

Once you get back from outdoors, you need to shower. Try to shower at least two hours before coming back indoors. It reduces the risk of getting infected by deer ticks. It can lower the risk of other tick-borne diseases. You can wash off any unattached ticks. Washing your body also offers you a chance to do a tick check. You can scan your body while applying soap to remove any ticks. After returning from a potentially tick-infested area, you need to take bath. While washing, you need to check your body and your childâ€™s (if he/she accompanied you outside). Here are the main body parts you need to check the following area:

In and around the ears
Under the arms
Inside the belly button
Around the waist
Back of the knees
In and around the hair
Between the legs

Keep Your Dogs Safe From Ticks

Your pets, especially dogs, are susceptible to tick bites and face the risk of suffering from tick-borne diseases. There are no vaccines available for most tick-borne diseases affecting dogs. Hence, your dogs are at high risk of bringing ticks back into their home after they visit tick-infested areas. Use a tick-preventive product on your dog while grooming them to wash off any ticks they carry. It is difficult to detect any tick bites on the dogs. In dogs, the symptoms linked to tick-borne may not appear for seven to twenty-one days or longer after a tick bite. So, you need to watch your dog closely for changes occurring in your dogâ€™s behaviors when you suspect a tick bite. If you have any doubts and concerns, you need to make an appointment with the veterinarian.

Keep Your Yard Tick-Free

Apart from checking yourself or your pets, you must also take steps to prevent these ticks from flourishing in the garden. To keep your yard less attractive to ticks, you need to keep them cleaned and well-maintained. Irrespective of the landscape, keeping the yard clean and clutter-free will reduce the tick population.

Conclusion

Most people developing Lymeâ€™s disease have a good prognosis when they get early treatment. With early medical intervention, you can avoid any complications. But, delaying the treatment means suffering from complications. In some people, it is common to see post-Lyme syndrome, which causes lingering aching, fatigue, and headaches. But, with time progressing, they can see a difference in these symptoms. Instead of dealing with the aftermath, follow the preventive steps to avoid the disease. Never assume you are immune to the problem. It is possible to develop the disease more than once. Hence, take preventive measures to avoid it.

References

https://www.healthline.com/health/lyme-disease

https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html#:~:text=Lyme%20disease%20is%20caused%20by,skin%20rash%20called%20erythema%20migrans.

https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/arthritis-lyme-disease