Who Is At Risk In Ohio
Anyone who spends time outdoors can be at risk for Lyme disease. The tick that transmits Lyme disease in Ohio, the blacklegged tick, is most often found in wooded, brushy areas. People who frequent these settings may be at increased risk of contracting Lyme disease.
However, it does not take a hike in the forest to encounter blacklegged ticks. The property around many homes can also provide suitable habitat for ticks, particularly those in yards that are next to woods or brushy areas or those with tall grass or leaf litter. That is why it is important to take the necessary steps to prevent tick bites.
Ohioans of all ages get sick with Lyme disease, but data collected by the Zoonotic Disease Program suggest that males are more at risk for Lyme disease than females. Boys between the ages of ten and 14 years appear to be at particularly high risk. Many cases of Lyme disease are reported in females between the ages of five and nine.
How Can You Prevent Lyme Disease
Now you know the answer to “Can you die from Lyme disease?” is yes, so preventing it in the first place is significantly essential. The two types of ticks that spread Lyme disease live in wooded and high grass areas, so extra precaution should be taken in those places. Other recommendations include:
- Learn which tick borne diseases are common in your area.
- Avoid areas with leaf litter, thick vegetation, and high grass.
- When hiking, walk in the center of trails.
- Use repellent that contains 30 percent DEET on exposed skin.
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing permethrin.
- Regularly treat pets with products that kill and/or repel ticks.
- Look for crawling ticks before they bite you, and bathe or shower after coming indoors.
- Remove all attached ticks immediately with tweezers.
Complications Of Untreated Lyme Disease
If unchecked, the Lyme disease infection can spread to other bodily systems, causing significant damage. Untreated, complications of this condition can be very severe:
- Arthritis:Prolonged infection with Lyme disease leads to chronic joint inflammation and swelling, usually in the knees . These symptoms tend to arise within two years of infection, with periods of flare-ups and remissions. This arthritis is relatively difficult to manage, though antibiotics and steroids may be attempted.
- Lyme carditis:If the bacteria reach the heart tissues, they can cause inflammation and lead to heart block. The electrical signals being sent between the upper and lower chambers of the heart are interrupted, impairing the coordination of the heartbeat. Though disruptive, this is rarely fatal.
- Lyme neuroborreliosis:Inflammation of multiple nerves, including those in the spine and brain, is the chief characteristic of this condition. This can also affect the meningesthe layer of tissue surrounding the brain and spineleading to meningitis, among other conditions. Antibiotic therapy, if applied promptly, tends to be effective as a treatment.
Even in cases where Lyme disease has progressed, antibiotic regimensespecially drugs like doxycyclineare generally successful in resolving problems.
Don’t Miss: Is Lyme Disease A Lifelong Disease
What Are The Treatments For Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. The earlier you are treated, the better it gives you the best chance of fully recovering quickly.
After treatment, some patients may still have pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking that lasts more than 6 months. This is called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome . Researchers don’t know why some people have PTLDS. There is no proven treatment for PTLDS long-term antibiotics have not been shown to help. However, there are ways to help with the symptoms of PTLDS. If you have been treated for Lyme disease and still feel unwell, contact your health care provider about how to manage your symptoms. Most people do get better with time. But it can take several months before you feel all better.
Cure For Lyme Disease
What is chronic Lyme disease?
Chronic Lyme disease is widely unrecognized and unknown in today’s popular contemporary medical field – in fact it creates defensiveness and denial when mentioned in many circles.
Chronic illness in and of itself has long existed and acknowledged throughout the world. On Ask.com, the following answer appeared after asking what is chronic illness:
A chronic disease is a disease that will last for a long time or will come and go, but always be a part of your life. Some chronic diseases include Fibromyalgia, COPD, diabetes, cancers and the different types of arthritis.
When I look up chronic on dictionary.com, I get words like “constant, habitual, continuing for a long time or recurring frequently, having a long duration.” The Word English Dictionary adds “developing slowly, very bad and very serious” to the list.
The idea that today’s Lyme disease is a singular culprit exists in traditional circles, but not in actual Lymies. We know that Lyme disease always travels and infects in multiples. Can you imagine if the mainstream media and medicine had to suddenly accept that most diabetes patients also simultaneously had stomach cancer or MS? Or that kids who got mono also had Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at the same time? The system would real from the ripples of confusion and fear this would create.
We are the cusp of a Lyme revolution. Keep talking about it, keep researching, keep seeking truth in this Lyme battle. Be a Lyme evangelist with me.
Also Check: Getting Tested For Lyme Disease
What Causes Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of the tiny black-legged, or deer, tick found in the Eastern and Central U.S., and the western black-legged tick in the Pacific West. The riskiest months for Lyme disease are May through September, when young ticks are likely to be biting.
In humans, the bacteria may cause flu-like symptoms. If left untreated, it may attack many tissues — including the heart and nervous system — and trigger an immune response that can lead to Lyme arthritis.
Show Sources
Dealing With A Lyme Disease Diagnosis
When a dog is diagnosed with Lyme disease, quick treatment is important, because Lyme disease can lead to further health complications such as joint, heart, kidney, and nervous system problems. The long-term effects of Lyme disease can be just as dangerous, or even more dangerous, than the disease itself.
Treatment of Lyme disease generally includes a round of antibiotics and possibly other medications to help relieve joint pain or other symptoms. Antibiotics for Lyme disease may be required for up to a month, while many other diseases or infections require antibiotics for just a few days.
Relapses are common for Lyme disease, so pet owners of dogs who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease should always be on the lookout for signs of Lyme disease symptoms.
If you live in one of the areas where Lyme disease is most common, speak to your veterinarian about the Lyme disease vaccine. While there is a vaccine, it isnt usually included in the group of typical vaccines dogs are given. You will also want to keep up with booster shots for Lyme disease. The vaccine may not be an option for all dogs, so be sure to discuss it with your veterinarian.
If you plan on traveling with your dog to an area where Lyme disease is common, you may also want to consider the vaccine. Since ticks migrate and move around, you can request a Lyme disease test if you see your dog presenting any of the symptoms listed above.
A few tips for preventing Lyme disease include:
Also Check: My Dog Tested Positive For Lyme
Get Free Healings Straight To Your Inbox
Hi, Im Elma Mayer, Founder of Now Healing. My higher purpose is to amplify your innate instant-healing ability whether you are an advanced healer, or just starting out. And shhh, just between us: my secret ulterior motive is for you to not only heal yourself and your loved ones, but the entire planet! Tens of thousands of people have used my Now Healing tools to do incredibly effective instant-energy healing, with ease. And you can too. Lets do it now!
Where Lyme Disease Comes From
The deer tick is the primary vector for Lyme disease. You can find them in tall grass and undergrowth, or piggybacking on wild animals like rodents, deer or birds, along with our beloved fur babies. One of the most important preventative measures is to check yourself, your kids and your pets after being outdoors. Change your clothes as soon as you come in and take a shower to wash off ticks that might be crawling around looking for a good place to bite.
Unfortunately, they prefer the “damp” sweaty parts, nooks and crannies, and hard-to-see places like in your hair, so a good scrub is wise. People often say they didn’t even know they were bit, but they still got the disease. Do not wait to get sick, tested or treated. If not treated, some cases of Lyme can be fatal.
It’s a point of contention how long before a tick has to bite you that you get sick. This also depends on the pathogens and load the tick is carrying Lyme isn’t the only concern. Infections, including parasites, viruses and other forms of bacteria can often accompany the tick. If you find a tick biting you, it is best to take it to a doctor right away to get it tested as they can give prophylactic antibiotics, which can prevent infection.
Also Check: Is There A Home Test For Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease A Rare Cause Of Death: Study
By Amy Norton, Reuters Health
6 Min Read
NEW YORK While controversy still brews over the long-term effects of Lyme disease, a new government study concludes that the tick-borne illness is rarely a cause of death in the U.S.
Using death records collected from 45 U.S. states, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between 1999 and 2003, there were 114 records listing Lyme disease as a cause of death.
But in most cases, Lyme disease was listed as one of multiple health problems contributing to a persons death, and only 23 records showed the disease as the underlying cause.
Of those, the investigators say, just one was consistent with known clinical manifestations of Lyme disease. In that case, the person died of respiratory failure that the death record tied to long-term effects on the central nervous system.
The findings, the CDC researchers say, indicate that Lyme disease is rare as a cause of death in the U.S.
But that conclusion is unlikely to settle the broader controversy surrounding the long-term effects of Lyme disease in some people which, some doctors and patient groups say, do include serious and sometimes fatal health problems.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by certain ticks. The initial symptom is most often a gradually spreading bulls eye rash at the site of the tick bite.
The CDC and major medical groups say most cases of Lyme disease can be cured within about four weeks of oral antibiotics.
Does Lyme Disease Go Away On Its Own
Its certainly possible for people to get Lyme disease and to clear the infection on their own, without treatment, says Dr. Kuritzkes. But its better to be treated, because some of the complicationslike arthritis and myocarditis and damage to the central nervous systemcan be very serious.
The type of bacteria that causes Lyme disease is in the same general family as the type that causes syphilis, Dr. Kuritzkes explains. That doesnt mean anything similar in terms of transmission, but syphilis has several different phases, with primary and secondary and tertiary symptoms, he says. The infection can hide out in the body for a long time and can cause problems down the road if its not treated.
RELATED: 11 Ways to Protect Yourself From Ticks
You May Like: Medication To Prevent Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease: More Common And More Dangerous Than You Think
Lyme disease outbreaks are already being reported this spring, and experts say theres a long way to go before we grasp the scope and impact of this serious tick-borne illness.
In the early 1990s, Dr. Neil Spector began experiencing odd symptoms.
At times, his heart would beat 200 times a minute. He also suffered crippling fatigue and had brain fog so intense he once gave a lecture and had no recollection of it.
Blood tests showed his body was producing high levels of antibodies, but specialists couldnt determine what was triggering his immune systems response.
It said my body was mounting a defense against something, Spector told Healthline. They just kept chalking it up to stress.
More symptoms began appearing slow heartbeat, arthritis pain, and burning in his heels but experts dismissed Spectors theory that they could be signs of Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne infection in humans.
Spectors symptoms began right after he moved from Boston to Miami, but Lyme disease is uncommon in Florida. Spector said he doesnt remember ever having the trademark bulls-eye rash of Lyme disease.
Spector, an associate professor of oncology at the Duke University School of Medicine, had no formal training in Lyme disease, but that changed as he searched for an explanation for his symptoms.
I dont think I have Lyme disease anymore, but the damage to my heart was already done by the time I was diagnosed, he said.
Controversy: Split Over Treatment For Persistent Symptoms
Medical groups continue to disagree about the optimal approach if a patients symptoms persist after the initial antibiotic treatment. A recent Lyme disease overview summarizes the differing guidelines .
- When patients have persistent or recurrent symptoms following recommended antibiotic treatment but no evidence of reinfection, further treatment is not recommended .
- While other potential causes for persistent symptoms should be investigated first, additional antibiotics are recommended if a chronic Lyme infection is believed to be a possible cause for ongoing symptoms and the patient has an impaired quality of life .
Read Also: Infectious Disease Doctor Lyme Disease
Chronic Lyme Disease Patients Profoundly Debilitated
Many patients with chronic Lyme disease are profoundly debilitated. Investigators of the four NIH-sponsored retreatment trials documented that the patients quality of life was consistently worse than that of control populations and equivalent to that of patients with congestive heart failure. Pain levels were similar to those of post-surgical patients, and fatigue was on par with that seen in multiple sclerosis.
An LDo published survey of over 3,000 patients with chronic Lyme disease found that patients suffer a worse quality of life than most other chronic illnesses, including congestive heart failure, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Over 70% of patients with chronic Lyme disease reported fair or poor health. Similar results have been found in other studies. Many of the symptoms associated with Lyme disease are common in other diseases. The CDC surveillance criteria for confirmed cases specifically exclude most of the symptoms that patients report, including fatigue, sleep impairment, joint pain, muscle aches, other pain, depression, cognitive impairment, neuropathy, and headaches. However, these common symptoms can be severe and may seriously affect quality of life.
Can One Die Of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease typically marked by a fever, headache, chills, and bulls-eye rash, and later by arthritis, cardiac, and neurological disorders, caused by bacteria that are spread by ticks. Lyme disease is common in North America, Europe, and Asia and is caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorfi, and infected ticks spread the disease by biting people and/or animals. There are two kinds of ticks that carry Lyme disease in the U.S. They are the deer tick, found in the Northeast and Midwest, and the western black-legged tick, predominantly found along the Pacific coast in northern California and Oregon.
Recommended Reading: How To Overcome Lyme Disease
New Tests And Treatments For Lyme Disease
You are looking for an affordable and safe Lyme natural cure and you found this article. Luckily, this article could save you from dealing with extreme fatigue, constant headaches, aching muscles, fever, stiff muscles, rashes and poor sleeping habits.
Do any of these symptoms of Lyme’s Disease sound familiar. The truth is that about 25,000 people will contract Lyme Disease this year alone. And since this disease can stay with you, there is a reported 2 million people in America who suffer from this debilitating disease.
But how do you get rid of the symptoms of Lyme disease? If you are concerned your medication is not working, here are some tips to boost your body’s health and cure Lyme naturally.
The aches of your body and joints should also be taken seriously by supplementing vitamin A. Recent studies have shown that is this vitamin can be beneficial to arthritic patients and also Lyme disease patients.
Are you getting your omega 3 fatty acids? Most nutritionists agree that fish oil is probably the second best supplement you need every day . Supplementing fish oil is good for your heart but it has also been shown to be good for your aching joints and muscles.
There are many kinds of ticks on animals that people normally don’t bother about. However, in the U. S., a disease was identified in 1975 that originated from ticks found in deer. This tick disease is called Lyme. Before discussing the symptoms for Lyme disease, it is wise to understand the cause of the illness.
What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This spiral shaped bacterium is most commonly spread by a tick bite. The disease takes its name from Lyme, Connecticut. This is where the illness was first identified in the United States in 1975.
Although Lyme disease is a year-round problem, April through October is considered tick season. Cases of Lyme disease have been reported in nearly all states in the U.S. and in large areas in Europe and Asia, but the most common areas are the Northeast, upper Midwest and northwestern states.
Recommended Reading: How Long Does Lyme Disease Take To Show Symptoms