Lyme disease is found in the northeast, mid-Atlantic, and north-central states. It is also prevalent on the west coast. Quick tick detection and treatment is crucial when dealing with Lyme.
How Is Lyme Disease Spread?
The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria responsible for the infection is spread almost exclusively through the bite of deer ticks or western blacklegged tick. Infections are more common in nymphs, which are immature ticks. These are smaller and much more difficult to see. There has not been any evidence of other types of transmission, such as through food, air, or contact with other infected people or animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What Are The Symptoms?
Early symptoms seen between three and 30 days after the infected tick bite include a bulls-eye shaped rash and "fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes."
If untreated the Lyme disease infection can go into the Early disseminated stage. Symptoms of this stage include: more bulls-eye sores on other parts of the body, loss of muscle tone on one side of the face, meningitis symptoms such as a stiff neck, severe headaches, pain and swelling in the joints, shooting pain in other areas of the body, and heart palpitations, the CDC reported.
The Late disseminated stage occurs months to years after the initial infection. Patients that reach this stage often report arthritis and neurological symptoms.
How is Lyme Disease Treated?
If reported early, Lyme disease can be quickly and completely cured. The treatment usually includes and antibiotic regimen. Patients with more advanced symptoms, such as neurological or heart complaints, could require intravenous treatments.
How Can Lyme Disease Be Prevented?
One can avoid Lyme disease infections by staying away from tall grass and leaf litter, walking in the center of trails, using a bug repellent such as DEET or Permethrin, bathing after going outdoors, and conducting frequent tick checks on people and animals.
How To Remove A Tick:
Remove the tick immediately, it only takes 24 hours for the insect to spread Lyme into the human blood stream.
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible.
"Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal," the CDC reported.
After the tick has been removed, thoroughly scrub the area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
