Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Details Regarding Living With Lyme Disease

By Iva Cannon


There are many diseases and health problems that can arise in people who have been bit by insects or other animals. Lyme disease is brought about by bacterium called Borrelia burgdofrderi. This is transmitted when humans are bit by infected black-legged ticks. Luckily, living with Lyme disease is possible.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of the disease are fatigue, fever and headache. There is also a skin rash that is common in the infected. It is called erythema migrants or EM. Left untreated, this disease can cause an infection to spread to the nervous system, heart and joints of the body.

Lyme disease should be diagnosed by professionals before any treatment is given. Typically this will involve assessment of symptoms, which may include looking over the physical findings. Doctors and patients should consider exposure possibility. There are some people who might more likely to contract this based on their proximity to ticks that are infected. Lab testing is fundamental for getting detailed and accurate results.

Generally, many of these cases can be treated in just a month. Usually antibiotics are administered to patients. Every case will differ in many ways, including the severity of the symptoms. Patients should be able to ask questions, voice concerns and otherwise communicate with their doctors regarding treatment and care options. Results of treatment will differ.

Antibiotics are known to be more e effective for people in the early stages. These individuals are expected to make a complete recover in a short period of time. Those who have cardiac or neurological forms of this illness may need intravenous treatment using drugs like penicillin or ceftriaxone. Although rare, patients who were diagnosed later, may have recurring or persistent symptoms following treatment. This is referred to as Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome or PTLDS. These patients can get help managing these post-care symptoms with help from their doctor.

There was, at one time, a vaccine for preventing Lyme disease. However, the manufacturer discontinued the vaccine in the early 2000s. Today, the most effective way to prevent contraction of this disease is avoiding exposure to infected ticks. Warm months, between April and September, are when these ticks are more active. It is still fundamental that people employ preventative actions all throughout the year. Some tips for prevention: walking in the center of trails, avoiding woody or bushy places, using repellents upon going outside, and always checking for ticks upon returning indoors. It is essential to locate and remove ticks quickly.

Severe symptoms and PTLDS are not as likely to occur when an earlier diagnosis is met. People who have bites who live in or frequent areas with infected ticks, should pay close attention to their signs and symptoms. In the first 30 days after the bite, people are considered to be in the early localized stage. This is a time when people may notice the EM rash forming. It might be present with joint and muscle aches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue.

Each situation is different. For some, tick bites go away after a couple of days, which may mean that no Lyme infection is present. However, ticks are capable of spreading across organisms and can cause different types of rashes. People need to do research and utilize all available resources to become well-informed.




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