How to Prevent, Recognize and Treat Lyme Disease

lyme disease bullseye

Lyme disease can be prevented by following certain measures to ensure that a lyme disease carrying tick does not embed and engorge itself with your blood. However, if the tick goes undetected and transmits the bacteria that causes lyme's disease, it is important that you recognize the symptoms and get medical treatment at once.

To prevent, recognize or treat lyme disease, follow these steps:

Instructions

1. PREVENT TICK BITE

   There are two types of ticks that carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi: deer ticks, common in the north and east, and black-legged ticks, common along the Pacific coast. These ticks are very tiny and may be difficult to detect.

   The first line of defense is to prevent ticks from getting onto your body. Ticks are looking for a warm-blooded host where they can get they can engorge themselves. Wear long pants, preferably with elastic at the ankles, to prevent ticks from crawling up your legs. Spray feet and pants with insect repellent.

   You may be camping, but a daily shower is important to prevent ticks from attaching to your skin. Use a shower brush all over your body and extremities to remove any tick that has not yet embedded in your skin. Scrub your neck and wash your hair, as well.

   Deer ticks are very small. Look yourself over very carefully to ensure that no tick has embedded in your skin.

   If you do find a tick with its head buried in your skin, use tweezers to remove it: grab the tick as close to your skin as possible, being careful not to squeeze the tick's body, as this is where the bacteria is found. Pull firmly and remove the tick. Swab the site with alcohol after the tick is removed.

   (See link to photographs of ticks under Resources.)

2. RECOGNIZE SYMPTOMS

   The visible symptom of Lyme disease is a red rash, known as erythema migrans. This rash typically has a bull's eye appearance, with a small dark spot in the center, clearing around the center, and a dark red ring around the clear area. (See link to photograph under Resources.)

   Physically, flu-like symptoms are common, with headache, aching muscles and joints and fever.

   Symptoms in later stages can include problems concentrating; tingling hands and feet; swollen joints; Lyme carditis--heart palpitations, lightheadedness, syncope, chest pain; facial numbness and meningitis.

3. SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT

   As soon as you recognize a rash or other symptoms of Lyme disease, seek medical treatment. Your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics.

   Take all your medication as prescribed.

   Headache, fatigue and joint or muscle pain may persist after treatment is completed. These symptoms generally diminish over time.

   Self-help includes the age-old advice: eat right, get plenty of sleep, and exercise. Following this advice helps your body's own immune system to be strong and to fight off any vestigial effects of the infection.

Tips & Warnings

• It takes a tick 24-36 hours to engorge itself with your blood. It is during the latter stages of engorgement that the tick transmits lyme-disease-causing bacteria into your body. Therefore, early detection is the best prevention.

Resources

• Identify Ticks and Bullseye Rash