Lyme disease - Causes and Treatment

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is an infection caused by a kind of bacteria (germ) called a spirochete. The disease is carried by deer ticks and western black-legged ticks (found mostly on the Pacific Coast). These ticks can spread the disease to animals and humans through tick bites. These ticks are about the size of a sesame seed.

Lyme disease is most common in rural and suburban areas in the northeastern and midwestern states. Lyme disease is also found in other parts of the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Causes of Lyme disease

Lyme disease is caused by an infection from a micro-organism (Borrelia burghdor feri), itself transmitted by a bite from the wood tick, a blood-sucking parasite which normally lives on deer.

The wood tick is found in many areas, particularly in forests where deer are common. A tick will settle anywhere on a human body, but prefers warm, moist and dark places like the crotch or armpits.

When the tick has found a suitable place on the body, it sticks in its probe to draw up blood, exposing the host to the risk of infection.

Sings And Symptoms of Lyme disease

Sign of Lyme disease is a rash, which may appear 3 to 30 days after a tick bite. This rash, called erythema migrans, usually starts at the site of the tick bite. It may begin as a small red spot and grow larger. The center may fade, creating a bulls eye or ring appearance, but this is not always the case. Some people with Lyme disease have many red spots. The rash may burn, hurt or itch, or you may not feel it.

Other symptoms of Lyme disease early localized stage include:

• swelling of lymph glands near the tick bite
• fatigue
• headache
• achiness
• joint pain
• chills

Treatment of Lyme disease

The organism that causes the Lyme disease is sensitive to several antibiotics. But there are complications. The organism requires long incubation periods. This has to be to be broken through. Frequently it has been reported that a short term treatment of 4 weeks or thereabouts do not bring positive and enduring effects. There are even relapses of the disease. Whereas, when the disease is treated for a lengthy 3-month period with tetracycline it has shown good results.

Many symptoms are sited as manifestations of the Lyme disease .They may be one, or many. The tick lists a lengthy one. Some of these may be manifest to the very first observation, while others may be felt with prolonged suffering. Some others require physical and laboratory examination at a very close range.

Preventions of Lyme disease

• Wear long pants and sleeves.
• Clear brush and leaves where ticks live. Keep woodpiles in sunny areas.
• If you've had Lyme disease before, you can get it again.
• Gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth. Don't squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily. Once you've removed the entire tick, apply antiseptic to the bite area.