Description of Lyme Disease:

Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacterium is spread by black-legged or deer ticks. The deer, get the bacteria from mice. These ticks are usually smaller than dog ticks and harder to detect. The smaller ticks, or nymphs, are about the size of a poppy seed; adult ticks are the size of a sesame seed.

According to some experts, infection occurs 24 to 72 hours after the tick attaches to the skin. Some people report that they were infected within a few hours. The early stages of the disease are usually associated with mild symptoms that may include:

swelling of lymph glands near the tick bite

fatigue

headache

achy-ness

joint pain

chills

and a flat, red, not-itchy rash (which can look like a bull's-eye) around the bite

It is extremely important to remember that during the beginning stages of Lyme Disease, not all symptoms will occur, including the classic bull's-eye rash. Only about 50 % of people who get Lyme disease ever see a rash around the tick-bite.

The next stage of Lyme disease, called early disseminated stage, usually appears 2 weeks to 9 months after the tick bite, and may include:

two or more areas of rash not at the site of the bite

severe headache

severe fatigue

enlarged lymph nodes ("glands")

stiffness, especially in the joints and neck

sore throat

sensitivity to light

facial paralysis (Bell's palsy)

tingling or numbness in the extremities

irregular heart rhythm

fever of 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (37.78 to 38.89 degrees Celsius)

meningitis

Two other diseases, Ehrlichiosis (HGE) and Babesiosis, also can be transmitted through tick bites, -sometimes by the same tick that carries Lyme disease! It is therefore necessary to test for and treat these diseases as well. The right blood tests can be ordered through a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.

Ehrlichiosis symptoms are high fever, severe headache, fatigue and incapacitating muscle and joint stiffness.

Babesiosis is a malaria-like disease also transmitted by tick bites. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, fever, drenching sweats, muscle soreness, and headaches.

Over 150,000 cases of Lyme disease have been reported between 1982 and 2000. It is estimated that those numbers should be multiplied by 10 because there are lots more cases which go undiagnosed and unreported. (1)

Here are some ways you can keep ticks away from your house:

Keep lawns mowed and trimmed; clear brush, litter, and tall grass; and stack woodpiles off the ground.

Check your clothes and your pets for ticks before going in your house.

In addition, you can have a licensed professional spray your yard with insecticide in May and September to prevent ticks from multiplying.

Lyme Disease does not have to become a disabling condition. A good prognosis will rely on first on having an excellent Lyme Literate Medical Doctor, (an LLMD) to help your child over come Lyme Disease.

References:

1 Center of Disease Control, Statistics of Lyme Disease

Written by Painted Rabbit (WA),

co-written by AJ (TX) and Annie C, (AR)