Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria spread to humans by the bite of blacklegged ticks. Humans who are bitten by the black leg bacteria suffer severe heart and nervous system problems. If this disease is not addressed, it can lead to significant health problems even though the early signs may not be obvious. Typically, mice, squirrels, birds, and other small animals carry this bacteria, which can subsequently infect humans. In this blog, we will discuss what is lyme disease, its symptoms, and the treatment available.
Lymes Disease Symptoms: How to Spot the Signs Early
Lymes disease symptoms depend on the stage of infection. Sometimes, the initial stages of this disease go unnoticed due to very mild symptoms. Red round-shaped rashes are common at early stages and may grow more prominent with time. Commonly found signs of lyme disease are:
Early Stage Symptoms
From the infection bite to approximately the next 30 days, fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain are common. Lyme disease rash with redness is common where the infection is prominent.
Middle-level Symptoms
Within a few weeks or months, the infection starts spreading in the body, causing rashes to other body parts, severe headaches, constant muscle pain, irregular heartbeat, and some signs on the face.
Late Symptoms
If not treated on time, lyme disease has a high probability of causing significant infections. Infections like arthritis can cause severe joint pain. Neurological issues like memory loss, numbness in hands and feet and fatigue are some significant symptoms of the illness if not treated.
Lyme Disease Treatment: Know About the Recovery Options
So the question comes here, is lyme disease curable? In the initial stages, the primary treatment can be done through antibiotics. However, the treatment remedy depends on the stage of the infection. There is no exact antibiotic for this illness. A patient needs to complete an antibiotic course to reduce the cause of harm. The lyme disease treatment is as follows:
- At the early stages, about 10 to 20 days, antibiotics are given to patients.
- Antibiotics like ceftriaxone or cefotaxime are given within 2 to 4 weeks of infection to avoid lyme disease symptoms like heart and nervous system disease.
- Suppose the infection is detected after months while the patient suffers constant joint pain and fatigue. In that case, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications and counselling are provided for mood symptoms.
Lyme Disease Test: How to Detect It
Some lyme disease symptoms are similar to other illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s, Depression, Insomnia, and Autoimmune disorders, making the determination of this disease difficult. To detect the lyme disease test is performed in the laboratory to confirm the presence of infection. False detection of antibiotics at early stages, symptoms overlapping with other diseases, and consecutive tests are some challenges in diagnosing lyme disease. Some common diagnoses of this condition are:
ELISA Test
It is the first test for lyme disease to detect antibiotics. Sometimes, this infection may give wrong results as the antibodies are difficult to detect at primary stages.
Western Blot Test
An ELISA test follows this test If the results are positive. It confirms the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria in the body.
Polymerase Chain Reaction Test
This test detects chronic lyme disease that affects the neurological system. It is a practical test to detect the disease by taking samples from the joint fluid.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis
This test is performed when the bacteria affects the brain or spinal cord, causing neurological disorders.
Tick Testing
It identifies the presence of lyme bacteria by removing a tick from the body.
Conclusion
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria (and in rare cases- Borrelia mayonii), propagated to humans through the bite of blacklegged ticks. Its symptoms usually include fever, headache, fatigue, skin rash (erythema migrans), muscle pain, and more. However, the advanced stages of this disease led to some chronic conditions. Therefore, timely diagnosis through different methods and its effective treatment are recommended. As for the preventive measure to avoid catching this disease, you must wear protective clothing outdoors.
