Lyme Disease – What is it?

Lyme Disease is a serious infection caused by a bacteria called spirochete. The infection itself is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and is carried by deer ticks. A tick will inject the spirochete to animals as well as humans. If the infected tick bite is left untreated the bacteria will travel into the bloodstream and settle in tissues in the body. There are many Lyme disease symptoms and you should schedule a visit with your physician as soon as possible if you notice any of these symptoms.

Lyme Disease is a form of arthritis as it is an inflammatory disease of the joints and other organs in its disseminated stages. If you diagnose lyme disease early enough it can be treated with antibiotics and will be mostly cured. If left untreated it can still be cured however the progression of the disease may leave lasting symptoms for years depending on how a persons body reacts to the bacteria. It is rare that Lyme disease will cause permanent damage.

Where is Lyme Disease prevalent?

In the United States Lyme disease is the most common arthropod borne illness. Over 140,000 instances have been reported to the CDC (visit CDC Lyme Disease information) since the early 80s. Diagnosis and treatment are tricky for physicians because of the limitations of blood testing.

Lyme disease is most prevalent in the northeast and mid-west because of a large deer tick population but is spreading inland from the east coast. Ticks feed on mice, which are notorious carries of the infection and are transferred to humans and dogs once the tick embeds itself in the skin. A tick can transmit the disease immediately after feeding on these vermin. Although the spread of it is not clear, it could be related to the migration of birds and other infected dogs dropping the ticks during travel.

Lyme Disease and Borrelia burgdorferi

Although deer ticks are primary carriers of Borrelia burgdorferi other species of ticks can carry the bacteria. The tick usually cannot transmit spirochete unless it has been attached for 36 to 48 hours it is best practice to check your body daily especially if you are an active outdoors person. Once the tick becomes swollen with blood it may be to late. If you catch it before the tick is swollen then it has not yet transmitted the spirochete. Even in these cases it is best to keep an eye out for any Lyme disease symptoms. If you begin to experience pain in your joints in the months following a tick bite you should get treatment as soon as possible as you may have Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease was reported for the first time in the late 1800s in Europe. From that time until recently the symptoms were classified as other types of illness until 1975 when a huge amount of juvenile arthritis was reported with signs of rash in Lyme, Connecticut where it gets its name.

To learn if you are in an area that has infected deer ticks you should research vacation destinations especially if camping or if you will spending a great deal of time in the outdoors. Some areas of the country may have a higher deer tick population and it can vary from county to county in a given state.

If you think you may have Lyme disease or are not sure what the physical symptoms may look like, visit Lyme disease pictures.