Lyme disease is a specific infectious illness that can be transmitted only under certain conditions. A tick can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease when it bites you. This infection can occur in anyone, regardless of age, including children, adults, or the elderly. The bacteria can be spread through different species of ticks. There are several stages of this tick-borne disease, and with that, a range of symptoms. The last stage is where actual health complications occur. Hence, the ability to diagnose a tick-borne disease in its early stages is extremely valuable.
Understanding the diagnosis of Lyme disease enables the initiation of treatment that ultimately halts the damage caused by the bacteria. However, this is tricky because patients often do not realize they were exposed to a tick at all. Hence, it is necessary to recognize the first symptoms, even if they are not very characteristic. Do not let ticks beat you; read more about Lyme disease!
The discovery that ticks can pass bacteria harmful to us along to people has gone a long way toward understanding and preventing Lyme disease. We already know that several different species of ticks are capable of spreading it, but the Ixodes genus transmits most. Additionally, these bugs can spread multiple types of bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi is the most common spirochete bacterium. Less common are Borrelia mayonii and others, depending on the country.
The risk of tick bites in the United States is limited to certain regions. States such as Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Vermont, along with other north-eastern and north-central states, generally see higher diagnosed rates of cases of Lyme disease. Additionally, spring and summer are the highest-risk seasons, when ticks are the most viable, and people spend more time in fresh air.
The parasitic arachnids live only about 2-3 years. They require a blood meal from other animals or humans to live. When they feed, they inject bacteria. Ticks typically attack small mammals like mice and voles and domestic pets like cats and dogs.
The guts of some of the ticks harbor bacterial strains. They can shift toward the mouth during a bite. This will need to go on for some time. In other words, it only leads to infection if a tick is on the body for longer than 15 hours. It is also worth noting that Lyme disease is spread ONLY by ticks. This means you cannot get these bacteria by being around an infected person.
While everyone can get a tick bite, specific scenarios put you at a higher risk. Hopefully, it will make you more mindful of those scenarios in which you are at risk of contracting a dangerous Lyme disease. Ticks are smart little bugs and have evolved to be very good at securing a host and feeding. They have advanced, acute senses, which they use to respond to a plethora of crucial factors, including smell and body heat, as well as movement and vibrations. This allows them to detect the presence of a human or animal in order to crawl onto them. Ticks often find their way into our bodies from standing on the ground, grass, or bushes. This means that outdoors can be a place where you can get infected with Lyme disease.
Hanging around places that have overgrown vegetation increases the chances of getting a parasite like a tick. Hence, walking in forests, meadows, and parks can be risky despite the beautiful nature, particularly in the tick season (e.g., spring, summer, and early autumn). Plus, the more time someone spends in places where ticks are expected to exist, the greater the threat of being bitten. Naturally occurring places will have ticks as they are part of the ecosystem and serve certain functions. Some animals eat ticks, and they help keep the rodent population in check.
The risk of getting bitten is high due to inappropriate clothing. More exposed skin means more exposed legs and arms, which are more places for ticks to attach themselves to us and feast on our blood. Even in the summer, when it is hot, it is best to opt for long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt if you are out and about in nature for an extended period of time. You should also consider using a hat. This will also help while protecting from the sun. Choose a comfortable, breathable fabric that will not cause you to overheat.
Repellents with incorporated protection against ticks are also good for your safety. Many shops sell spray, cream, and ointment for the body with chemical substances that the ticks avoid. This way, you can feel more secure when you go outside. It is also advisable that you check your own body carefully for ticks when you return home.
Sadly, our furry friends are more susceptible to ticks bites than we are. This is especially true for those pets who regularly go on walks and may encounter ticks. Ticks initially attach to the hairs of the animal on which they are feeding. Then the ticks may transmit to humans by petting or contact with that animal. Do check the furs of your pets at home after taking them out for a walk. To minimize the risk of being bitten, you can also use tick repellents.
Lyme disease symptoms are different depending on the progress of the disease. Specialists have grouped This disease into three distinct stages, each with particular signs. Unfortunately, the most tell-tale symptoms do not always present themselves, so that diagnosis may be challenging. In fact, this is why it pays to be aware of each Lyme disease symptom. It may take 1–2 weeks for the first signs to emerge after the bite. In case of not spotting the disease at this point, the patient deteriorates with the next steps of the illness.
Clinically, Lyme disease produces symptoms in the majority of patients, and the earliest sign is the erythema migrans. This type of redness is a local symptom that doctors can easily link to Lyme disease, and it basically appears on the site of the bite. An erythema refers to a type of rash that can cause itching, burning, or being asymptomatic. And one of the hallmark features of this rash is circular redness. It can grow and expand; it can be 20 cm wide. Up to 70% of patients experience this type of rash, which develops 1–2 weeks after the bite. However, early diagnosis might be more difficult in non-erythema-developing cases, exposing patients to the risk of developing the disease.
Other early symptoms of the disease can also be associated with erythema, such as constant low-grade fever with headaches and muscle aches. Occasionally, teary and red eyes occur. The initial phase of the disease may also be similar to the flu in general.
The symptoms become sharper after this early stage, which can last from 3 to even 12 weeks. They are associated with malaise and the rise of fever. The person may also experience cardiac symptoms like breathlessness, palpitations, and pain in the chest. At this stage, Lyme disease frequently causes conjunctivitis and other troubling signs affecting the eyes.
Neurological symptoms such as dizziness appear, but it can also manifest itself in a more serious form that causes meningitis. Then, disturbances of the senses, like smell, vision, hearing, and coordination disorders, are possible. All of this can lead to profound muscle weakness and, in some cases, paralysis of the patient. It can also leave patients unable to speak and close their eyelids—with facial nerve paralysis.
It usually happens months following the tick bite. The patient develops progressively more severe healthcare issues. The bacteria can invade the nervous system, leading to brain and spinal cord inflammation and other brain disorders. When axons in the brain are damaged, people will begin to experience a numbing or tingling sensation or loss of sensation altogether, and these movement disorders become prominent. It is also common to have cognitive impairment, i.e., impaired memory, concentration, and general understanding of situations. There are personality changes as well: patients can be overly sensitive, or they can become depressed. At this stage, paralysis and loss of senses are more probable.
The bacteria can also influence the musculoskeletal system. In these cases, inflammation develops, most often in the knee joints. It causes pain and swelling in the patients. A few patients will go on to have chronic arthritis as a long-term complication of Lyme disease. In addition, persistent atrophic dermatitis of the hands and feet also occurs. However, this sideline is primarily for older women.
Lyme disease symptoms are such that they can point to many other conditions — which can make it quite tricky to diagnose. Nevertheless, the classic rash of the disease may serve as a key symptom of the disease. But it does not always occur. This is why doctors will also request blood tests to determine whether there are bacteria in the blood. These tests can also preventice measures, such as following the end of each warm season in which we have spent a lot of time outdoors.
For Lyme disease, the test is to provide a blood sample from the patient and put it on a microscope for inspection. Special, approved tests are typically performed in two steps, which is known as a two-step serological test. Keep in mind that the tests are not always effective in the first few weeks and will need to be done several times. Serological tests are also essential for patients with cardiac symptoms.
With Lyme disease, every moment counts, meaning you may want to run a lab test, even if this is not a ticks-borne factor. If the patient reacts in time and starts treatment, Lyme disease is totally curable.
The effectiveness of Lyme disease treatment depends on the stage of the infection at the time of detection. Although antibiotic therapy is the main pillar of the treatment, thankfully, it works relatively well. Nevertheless, some patients need other therapeutic means. In the case of late-stage Lyme disease, treatment is significantly more difficult, and some people actually seem to become resistant to antibiotics, which also complicates treatment.
Untreated Lyme disease causes huge damage to the human body. The tick-borne disease sadly suppresses the immune system, creating a list of problems and complications that need treatment. So, in these later stages, therapy has to be long-term. Different therapies are utilized. For example, patients with cardiac symptoms can use pacemakers and special heart medication.
But Lyme disease is treatable, even in its advanced stages. At this point, though, treatment is considerably more complicated and protracted. Patients are burdened with other chronic inflammatory diseases that we may have to endure for life.
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