Lyme Disease: Everything You Need To Know
Lyme disease is being more difficult to control than previously thought. Its means of propagation, ticks, make its eradication very complicated. This disease can affect humans who are bitten by infected ticks.
Not all types of ticks can contain Lyme disease, just so-called black legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. The disease is also not easy to spread, as the tick needs to stay in your body for at least 24 hours to be able to infect it.
Lyme disease bacteria
There are four types of bacteria that cause the disease, and they change depending on the region. In the United States, the causes of the disease are Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonil , while in Europe and Asia the disease is caused by Borrelia afzelil and Berrolia garinil.
Ticks become infected by feeding on small rodents, such as mice or squirrels, infected with B. burgdorferi. This bacteria does not kill the tick and can live in it for a long time.
Risk factors
This type of tick is found mainly in heavily forested areas with abundant vegetation. This is the perfect environment for parasites to reproduce. In the grassy areas, they can also be found on the high part of the leaves, prepared to climb on any animal that approaches.
Children and people who spend a lot of time outdoors doing activities in nature are much more likely to be bitten by a tick and therefore to be infected with Lyme disease.
Avoid having too many areas of the skin exposed when traveling through field regions. This makes life difficult for black-legged ticks. If you live in areas where these types of mites are common, don’t let your pets stay in the bushes.
Lyme Disease Symptoms
The first symptom, a few days after tick extraction, is a small red bump, similar to a mosquito bite. But this is common with any tick bite, infected or not.
If he had Lyme disease, he ‘ll get a rash that gets bigger, like a bull’s-eye. It can appear between the third day or even after a month. It usually doesn’t itch, but you can feel the area feeling hot and very red.
This is the typical reaction, but not everyone reacts the same way to the illness. In some people, instead of having just one rash in the pricked region, several small ones appear on the rest of the body.
If left untreated, Lyme disease can bring on more symptoms in later months, such as joint pain, usually in the knees, neurological problems with a temporary paralysis on one side of the face, problems with moving the arms and legs, and tingling.
Other less common symptoms
Although less common, these symptoms can also appear:
- Inflammation of the eyeballs
- irregular heartbeat
- Inflammation of organs such as the liver
- extreme tiredness
If you live in a region where the disease can spread and you are bitten by a tick, it is best to go to the doctor, even if you do not notice the symptoms. If you have been infected with Lyme disease and experience the symptoms mentioned, go to your doctor to start treatment.
Usually, the disease does not pose serious risks if caught early enough. Therefore, it is not advisable to delay going to the doctor if you have experienced symptoms. It is not because the symptoms have stopped that the disease has disappeared. It should be treated in the same way, even if months have passed since the symptoms disappeared.
