‘Tick’ Off a Passage to Lyme within No Time

One Need's Great Vision & Attention to Find the Tick in Time

Bull's-eye Rash is Super-indicative of Lyme

Lyme disease is due to the bite of black-legged ticks (commonly called as deer ticks) infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is found in every continent except Antarctica. Lyme is also called as the ‘Great Imitator’ as many of its symptoms are indicative of other diseases and physicians often misdiagnose it with other illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and depression. Such a misdiagnosis not only delays treatment but also increases the progression of the infection.
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Lyme disease is mostly the consequence of a nymphal tick bite (immature ticks). They are so tiny that most individuals remain ignorant of their bite as it is painless. But the aftermath is dangerous as the tick starts feeding for days together undisturbed. Longer it stays on the body greater is the chances of passing over Lyme into the bloodstream.

Symptoms
Lyme disease can affect anyone, but it is predominantly seen in kids, older adults and other people such as firefighters and park rangers who spend most of their time outdoors. Symptoms include:

• Flu-like illness with chills, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea and joint pain
• Rash in the shape of a bully’s eye is characteristic of the disease but there are some individuals who develop a different kind of Lyme rash or some who develop none at all. Around 30-80% patients develop a rash usually
• Facial nerve (Bell’s) palsy which is paralysis of facial muscles on one side of the face
• Sudden occurrence of intense pain that disturbs sleep
• Meningitis
• Heart rhythm problems, joint pain or swelling, numbness in hands and feet, inflammation of the eyes
  
  

Generally, many of the symptoms such as chills, fever and joint pain are common to other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, depression and Alzheimer’s as well and hence there is a great possibility that many patients are misdiagnosed with a different disease before being diagnosed with Lyme disease. Another reason for misdiagnosis is that many individuals do not remember the bite of a tick which serves as a major risk factor for Lyme. Diagnosing the disease remains the most-crucial part as late diagnosis can lead to chronic Lyme disease which has the ability to leave the person debilitated.

Chronic Lyme Disease
When the symptoms are not identified at an early stage and treatment is not started there are ample chances for the disease to become chronic or late-stage. The disease might go into hiding in different body parts and affects multiple body systems such as the reproductive system, heart, nervous system, brain and circulatory system.

Researchers have found that quality of life of people impacted with chronic Lyme disease was affected badly and was almost equivalent to that of patients with congestive heart failure; pain was on similar levels as that found in post-surgical patients and fatigue was also on similar lines as exhibited by multiple sclerosis patients. If you are interested in knowing more about multiple sclerosis please visit the website www.firsteatright.com.
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Prevention
Until today there have been no vaccinations for Lyme available. All that you can do to prevent the disease is to stay safe and take precautionary measures. A tick is very small and most people don’t feel any sensation or pain when it attaches itself to the skin of humans. Pets are another great source of entry for ticks and hence it is necessary to ensure the following:

• Wear light clothing and long pants tucked into socks to avoid skin contact with ticks
• Don’t go near bushy or wooden areas which are filled with tall grass and always walk in the center of the path when you go for a hike
• Never use tick repellants on cats that are manufactured especially for dogs. It might harm the cat’s skin as it is extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals
• Once home take a bath immediately to remove any ticks sticking onto your skin’s surface and examine your entire body for the same. The bacterium takes up to 36 hours to transfer into the body and removing the tick before that can save you from a plethora of symptoms and pain
• Please ensure to examine children and pets as thoroughly as possible after they come home from outdoors
  
  

Having a garden is fabulous but you need to maintain it to avoid ticks from ruining your life. Don’t keep any old furniture, mattresses or trash in the yard as these are all excellent places for a tick to go into hiding. If you are having a swing or slide in the play area, ensure to have it well away from trees and bushes. There is nothing wrong in having fun outdoors or spending time in the wild forest on a trek or hike. 

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