In 1975 in the town of Lyme, Connecticut a group of children who all lived in the same area started to exhibit an uncommonly high level of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. This strange spike eventually led researchers to identify the cause of the childrens condition and by 1977, the first 51 cases of Lyme arthritis were diagnosed.
Since then, the number of reported cases of Lyme disease has been growing steadily every year. A bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of the deer tick, in the United States Lyme disease is most often reported by people living in the northeast and the mid-atlantic states. The ticks are brown and generally about the size of the head of a pin. Their color and small size make them very dificult to spot even if you’re looking right at them.
Since Lyme disease is transmitted by deer tick bites, you’re a lot more likely to get Lyme disease if you spend time in grassy or wooded areas where ticks that carry the disease tend to live. Deer ticks typically feed on the blood of mice, birds and deer, but they will also attach themselves to people, cats, and dogs. Since they live in low bushes and tall grass they will try hitch a ride with animals that happen to pass by. Deer ticks are the most active in the summer but they can bite all year round even with snow on the ground.
So, what are the symptoms of Lyme disease? In the early stages, you may have flu-like symptoms that can include a chills, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue. In about 75% of the cases you will see a large, bulls eye shaped skin rash around the center of the bite.
After several weeks of being infected with Lyme disease, approximately two thirds of those people that were not treated with antibiotics develop painful and swollen joints that can anywhere from a couple of days to a few months. In addition to arthritis, Lyme disease can also cause brain, heart and central nervous system damage.
In the long term, if Lyme disease is ignored or not diagnosed the resultant nerve damage, heart problems, and arthritis can become much harder to treat. Death from Lyme disease is very rare but, if left untreated, the damage done to the body may become irreversible. Speech problems can begin to develop and worsen and the muscles can deteriorate to the point of making the victim unable to even get out of bed.
Fortunately, only a small percentage of deer tick bites lead to Lyme disease. If you are bitten by a tick it’s important to remove it as soon as possible. After a tick attaches itself, it takes 24–72 hours before transmission of the bacteria takes place. So, the longer the tick remains attached, the greater your chance of getting the disease. Most people who contract Lyme disease don’t even remember getting bitten so it’s important to check yourself over after you come in from golfing, hiking or just working in the yard. If you know you’ve been bitten and you start to see the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease, make sure that you contact your doctor as soon as possible. Treatment for Lyme disease is most effective if started early, so the sooner the better.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.