What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is an infectious condition caused by a spirochete (a corkscrew-shaped bacteria) called Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by ticks. Due to his nonspecific symptoms, it is difficult to diagnose and it is easy to confuse it with other diseases, which is why specialists sometimes refer to him as "the great suitor." It has been identified in both humans and animals, particularly those with fur, which generally carry ticks.
Lyme disease got its name from the place where it was first identified: Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 1977. It all started when two worried mothers decided to trace the source of an unexplained increase in the number of cases of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and ended Finding a new disease Since then, the condition has proven to be more common than initially considered, and thousands of articles on Lyme disease have been written and published.
Taking into account the time of the year and the areas where the outbreaks occurred, specialists soon linked the disease to a certain type of tick, commonly found among deer. As the investigation progressed, they also realized that the infection had early and late phases involving rashes and other dermatological symptoms and, without proper treatment, could affect the nervous system, eyes, heart and joints (hence the confusion that occurred earlier). studies with arthritis) and, in the most severe cases, it has even been linked to meningitis.
Today, the infection can be detected quite easily. If you have the classic porthole rash and inform your doctor that you have been exposed to contact with ticks (either walking through forests or through pets, which may have carried ticks inside the house), it is not necessary to perform more tests and any doctor will probably think of Lyme disease right away. If you are not sure, a simple blood test is usually enough. Treatment includes two or three weeks of antibiotics. Despite what you may have read in the articles on Lyme disease available in libraries and on the Internet, the disease is completely curable and leaves no long-term side effects, if proper treatment is used from the beginning. Except for antibiotics, there are no other effective solutions, so you should consult a doctor at the first symptoms and follow the treatment accordingly.
Lyme disease is quite common in the United States these days, with hundreds of thousands of cases diagnosed each year, and the number of diagnoses is also increasing in Europe (possibly due to atmospheric changes that allow ticks to thrive in many areas). Also, it has been recorded more frequently in children than in adults. As usual, it is better to prevent infection than to treat the disease, so specialists recommend caution when living, walking or camping in tick-infested areas. The use of insect repellent is a good idea, since bacteria can enter your system only through tick bites, and cannot spread from an infected human to another, or from sick animals to humans.
Causes of Lyme disease and Lyme disease prevention
Lyme disease is an infectious condition with very unpleasant consequences. Fortunately, although it was first diagnosed only 30 years ago, the causes of Lyme disease are now well known and thoroughly researched, so it is quite possible to ensure the effective prevention of Lyme disease in many high-risk areas. The disease occurs if you are infected with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is caused by the bites of so-called ticks (Ixodes dammini in the United States and Ixodes ricinis in Europe). Don't let the name fool you, these ticks are not only found on deer; they can be carried by any furry animal and usually live in areas with woods and tall grass. But ultimately everyone wants to know this: how can it be prevented and is Lyme disease contagious too?
The best method of preventing Lyme disease is to avoid tick bites. This is not as simple as it sounds. Ticks are tiny creatures, the size of a sesame seed, and can easily hide in the folds of skin. However, they are slow-moving insects and therefore are not likely to reach the whole body. Also, a tick must be embedded in the skin for at least 24 hours before transmitting the infection; so if you find one, you can remove it in time. Use tweezers to carefully remove them and clean the area with a disinfectant and, most importantly, do not panic; Only about 1% to 3% of the bites cause the infection.
When walking in tall grass or tick-infested areas, wear long pants and sleeves and check your entire body carefully every night before going to bed. Insect repellents are highly recommended for the prevention of Lyme disease - particularly DEET (which is quite common and found in most brands available on the market today). When using the repellent, make sure it contains less than 10% DEET, otherwise, it may be harmful.
So Lyme disease is contagious? The answer is no. The infection cannot spread from one human being to another, not even from one sick animal to another. There are no other known causes of Lyme disease except tick bites; As far as we know, the disease cannot be caused by other insects (flies, mosquitoes, fleas, etc.). However, as a common-sense prevention method for Lyme disease, people who know they have the disease should not donate blood.
Even cases of mothers who transmit the disease to their children are rare and are also considered the only situations in which Lyme disease can be contagious; However, the condition is very difficult to treat in pregnant women, mainly because antibiotic treatment can harm the fetus. There is no evidence that a breastfeeding mother with Lyme disease can transmit it to her child, but it is generally recommended to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment.
A vaccine has been developed for the prevention of Lyme disease, effective in about 85% of cases, but is recommended only for those who work or live in high-risk conditions. It is not yet known how often it needs to be administered or for how long it provides protection.
Symptoms of Lyme disease
There are several symptoms of Lyme disease, and many of them are common to other health problems, making it difficult to diagnose and treat the problem. There are no signs immediately after the tick bite. Generally, the first symptoms of Lyme disease occur within a week to a month after the bite and closely resemble rashes or other skin conditions. The rash does not have a very well-defined shape, but the most common is the rash, defined by a round or oval shape, with a pale area in the center. Also, the rash sometimes appears at the tick-bite site, but it can also appear anywhere else on the body. If you notice the problem, the easiest way to find out if it is one of the first symptoms of Lyme disease is to check how quickly it grows. It is recommended to draw a circle around the rash using a pen. If it is a symptom of Lyme disease, it will spread beyond the circle within 24 hours.
Without treatment, the rash disappears within a week or two, and most people usually forget it immediately. Unfortunately, the other early symptoms of Lyme disease are even more difficult to detect and include fatigue, headache, and high fever - the so-called "flu-like illness". Of course, this stage is easily mistaken for flu or a seasonal allergy - but you must remember that the symptoms of Lyme disease never include runny nose, sore throat or cough - so this can guide you.
Left untreated, the infection spreads throughout the body and more rashes appear, usually smaller than the initial one, and disappear faster. It is important to mention that some patients show no signs up to this point, making it impossible to track the disease.
Later symptoms of Lyme disease are more severe. If the brain becomes infected, it leads to meningitis, a very serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Besides, if the nervous system is affected, it is common to affect the face so that the patient is no longer able to control an eyelid, chew food and so on.
If bacteria settle in the joints, later symptoms of Lyme disease include arthritis, with all the stiffness and pain usually associated with it. Sometimes the heart muscle can be affected, causing heart blocks.
Over time, the infection becomes chronic and the pain increases and eventually becomes permanent. Some patients suffer brain damage due to inflammation and may have memory problems and a general condition of weakness. Sometimes the symptoms of Lyme disease remain even after treatment is completed. They include general fatigue, muscle aches, general weakness, trouble sleeping and loss of energy. Symptoms may remain for about six months; they are generally considered failures of an organism trying to recover and do not require any separate treatment. Usually, they disappear on their own. Some doctors don't even admit they are related to Lyme disease.
Lyme disease treatment, Lyme disease recovery and cures for Lyme disease
Lyme disease is somewhat difficult to identify, but, trapped at an early stage, the treatment of Lye's disease is clear and well established, and highly effective. In other words, even if the condition was recently discovered and the symptoms are still somewhat controversial, scientists have found the cure for Lyme disease and work in most cases, including those that have become chronic.
Before starting treatment for Lyme disease, some tests are usually required. In patients who have the porthole rash and confirm that they may have been in contact with ticks, most doctors will begin treatment without further evidence. In other cases, blood tests are needed. These are usually correct, but there have been few situations of false diagnoses (patients whose results yielded positive results, but, did not have the infection).
Another method to diagnose Lyme disease is a lumbar puncture, a procedure that establishes whether the central nervous system has been infected. Cerebrospinal fluid is taken from the base of the patient's spine. The procedure is completely safe and does not cause side effects, except for some severe headaches for a few days.
Lyme disease treatment is based on antibiotics. If the disease is identified at an early stage, doxycycline is recommended for periods of 10 to 21 days for children and adults, in doses of 100 mg maximum, taken orally, every 12 hours. In some situations, it can be replaced by amoxiccycline. For later phases (which include chronic arthritis, cardiac and neurological manifestations), cures for Lyme disease are based on stronger antibiotics, such as benzylpenicillin or ceftriaxon. Both are powders for injections, and the treatment lasts 14 to 21 days.
The recovery period of Lyme disease can reach up to six months. In general, patients respond well to treatment and, when a failure occurs, a change in antibiotics is usually sufficient to resolve it. multiple courses of antibiotics are not recommended; Most specialists prefer to perform more tests to detect other unidentified causes of the same symptoms. Sometimes, post-treatment symptoms, such as fibromalgia, can be recorded due to the slow recovery period of Lyme disease, but there may also be other hidden infections in the body. Taking too many antibiotics can have serious side effects, such as gastrointestinal diseases or super-infections with other bacteria or fungi. Needless to say, antibiotic courses are taken only by prescription.
A vaccine for Lyme disease has recently been developed. The vaccine uses the person's immune system to kill the spirochete that spreads the infection in the tick, before it can actually enter the human body. A person needs to take a session of 3 courses for the vaccine to work, and has an 85% effectiveness. Even so, because it is a new development, it is not clear whether reinforcements are required or not, or how often it should be taken. The vaccine is recommended only for people who work in high-risk conditions and should not replace preventive measures, such as the use of insect repellents when living in tick-infested areas.
In the end, the most important thing to remember is that the treatment of Lyme disease is safe and effective, and it works best if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage, before it can become chronic.
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