Prevent Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by an infected deer tick. People all over the world can become infected with Lyme disease, however it is most prevalent in the NE United States, which includes New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

The deer tick prefers mice and white tailed deer, but they will also hitch a ride on cats, dogs, birds and humans. The deer tick is small-about the size of a sesame seed. There is no pain associated with the bite of a tick because they have a natural anesthetic in their saliva.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

Not all symptoms are the same in everyone; but following the bite, within days to a month there may be a red bump that appears. Then as time goes buy there is a rash that radiates out from the bump and looks like a bull's-eye, with darker and lighter rings. The deer tick can bite you anywhere, but the more common sites are the back of the knee, the groin, and the belt line. There may be fatigue, fever, chills, headache and joint pain. There may also be some neurological symptoms that may result in meningitis or Bell's palsy-temporary facial paralysis.

How is Lyme disease diagnosed?

It may be difficult at first for the doctor to make a definitive diagnosis of Lyme disease because it mimics so many other different conditions. Lyme disease can look like arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other disorders. It is imperative that you tell your doctor if you have been bitten by a tick before these symptoms occurred. The doctor will do a variety of tests to confirm or deny the presence of proteins and antibodies that show your body is fighting off this disease.

How is Lyme disease treated?

The standard treatment for Lyme disease is oral antibiotics, which clear up the infection in a matter of days. If the disease has been allowed to progress prior to seeking help, the doctor may have to treat the disease more aggressively with IV antibiotics for a period of at least 2 weeks of therapy.

How to prevent Lyme disease?

Ticks love the woods and grassy areas, so if you spend time in their natural habitat, be sure to protect yourself. Wear long sleeves and long pants. Tuck your pants into your boots. Don't allow your children and pets to wander out into tall grass and weeds. Remove ticks promptly and properly. Remove the tick with tweezers. Do not squeeze or squash the tick. Place the tweezers at the head or the mouth of the tick, and gently pull it out.
It is important to check yourself, your children, and your animals for ticks on a regular basis. It takes up to 48 hours for the bacteria to enter the blood stream, so there is only a 1 percent chance of contracting Lyme disease if the tick is removed quickly and correctly.
Lyme disease is easily preventable. Be sure to cover your skin, use insect repellents, and treat your yard and have fun.

Source:

Mao Clinic web page