How Should A Tick Be Removed
Grasp the mouthparts with tweezers as close as possible to the attachment site. Be careful not to squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick, which may contain infectious fluids. Pull firmly and steadily upward to remove the tick. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash hands. The NYSDOH has created a video on proper tick removal and a printable card with steps on how to remove ticks . See or call a doctor if there are concerns about incomplete tick removal. Do not attempt to remove ticks by using petroleum jelly, lit cigarettes or other home remedies because these may actually increase the chance of contracting a tick-borne disease.
Where Is Lyme Disease Found
Lyme disease is present in all 50 states, but the illness is most commonly found in the Northeastern US. Lyme disease is prevalent in areas with a high population of ticks, especially ticks infected with the Lyme disease bacteria. More than 50% of ticks in New York State carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The illness has been reported all over the world including Australia, China, Europe, and Japan.
Treatment For Other Forms Of Lyme Disease
People with other forms of disseminated Lyme disease may require longer courses of antibiotics or intravenous treatment with antibiotics such as ceftriaxone. For more information about treating other forms of Lyme disease, see:
The National Institutes of Health has funded several studies on the treatment of Lyme disease that show most people recover within a few weeks of completing a course of oral antibiotics when treated soon after symptom onset. In a small percentage of cases, symptoms such as fatigue and myalgia can last for more than 6 months. This condition is known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome , although it is also sometimes called chronic Lyme disease. For details on research into chronic Lyme disease and long-term treatment trials sponsored by NIH, visit the visit the National Institutes of Health Lyme Disease web siteexternal icon.
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Lyme Disease And The Cdc
In order for the Centers for Disease Control to recognize a Lyme case for surveillance purposes, there must be objective findings, such as positive blood tests, Bells palsy or joint swelling . The chart below reflects the CDC-reviewed surveillance case manifestations from 2001 to 2010.
This situation contributes to what many experts view as severe undercounting of Lyme disease by the CDC.
Chronic Lyme: What Happens When Lyme Goes Untreated
The Lyme community typically uses the term chronic Lyme disease to describe a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms that crop up after getting Lyme disease and persist for months to years after infection.
The risk of chronic Lyme increases the longer a Lyme infection goes untreated or undertreated. In other words, patients are more likely to recover fully if their Lyme infection is detected and treated as early as possible after the discovery of a tick bite. This stage is usually marked by symptoms such as fevers, chills, muscle aches, and sometimes rashes.
When left untreated or undertreated, however, Lyme disease can spread throughout the body and affect:
- The central nervous system
- Muscles and joints
As Lymedisease.org points out, these symptoms can evolve, disappear, and reappear at different times.
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Living With Lyme Disease
Most people treated in the early stages of Lyme disease make a quick and complete recovery. Some may experience symptoms for a few weeks after treatment. If you were treated for Lyme disease but you still dont feel well, call your family doctor. He or she can make sure there isnt something else wrong. They can help you find ways to ease your symptoms. Some patients have found relief with treatments typically used for chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia.
Other things you can do to help manage Lyme disease include:
- Educate yourself.There is a lot of inaccurate information to be sorted through, especially on the internet. Ask your doctor if you have questions.
- Track your symptoms.Keep a diary of your sleep patterns, eating habits, exercise routines, and how youre feeling. You or your doctor may be able to make connections between them.
- Take care of yourself.Eat a healthy diet. Exercise as regularly as you can. Get plenty of rest.
Find support. It can be hard to not feel well and not know why. Some people may think your symptoms arent real. Talk to friends and family. If they cant offer support, talk with a counselor who can help you.
Ongoing Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
A few people who are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease continue to have symptoms, like tiredness, aches and loss of energy, that can last for years.
These symptoms are often compared to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
It’s not clear why this happens to some people and not others. This means there’s also no agreed treatment.
Speak to a doctor if your symptoms come back, or do not improve, after treatment with antibiotics.
The doctor may be able to offer you further support if needed, such as:
- referral for a care needs assessment
- telling your employer, school or higher education institution that you require a gradual return to activities
- communicating with children and families’ social care
Page last reviewed: 05 July 2021 Next review due: 05 July 2024
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How Is Lyme Disease Spread
Not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Ticks can become infected if they feed on animals such as mice and other mammals that are infected. The disease can be spread when an infected tick bites a person and stays attached for a period of time. In general, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more. Lyme disease does not spread from one person to another. Transfer of the bacteria from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus is extremely rare.
The Lyme Borreliosis Spatial Footprint In The 21st Century: A Key Study Of Sloveniayour Browser Indicates If You’ve Visited This Link
Slovenia is an endemic region for Lyme borreliosis and one of the countries with the highest incidence of this disease on a global scale. Thus, the spatial pattern of Slovenian Lyme borreliosis prevalence was modelled with 246 indicators and transformed into 24 uncorrelated predictor variables that were applied in geographically weighted regression and regression tree algorithms.
Europe PMC
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How To Prevent Dogs From Having Ticks
While it is healthy to bring your dog out often to play, keeping them indoors most of the time is still the best way to avoid ticks. After a fun walk outside, thoroughly check them for any signs of ticks or itching as the longer a tick stays attached to your dog, the higher risk of developing a disease.
Ticks attach to grass, shrubs, etc. and latch on to nearby animals so it would be best to maintain a clean environment to avoid harboring ticks.
What’s The Treatment For Later
There are a few options to treat the joint pain and swelling associated with Lyme disease. Pain-relievers and anti-inflammatories â such as ibuprofen â can help relieve symptoms. An in-office procedure called arthrocentesis can be used to withdraw fluid from swollen joints. Rarely, arthritis persists after antibiotic treatment. Some scientists believe that chronic joint inflammation can be triggered by the infection even after the successful elimination of Lyme bacteria.
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What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection you get from the bite of an infected tick. At first, Lyme disease usually causes symptoms such as a rash, fever, headache, and fatigue. But if it is not treated early, the infection can spread to your joints, heart, and nervous system. Prompt treatment can help you recover quickly.
What Are The Symptoms And Signs Of Lyme Disease
There are three distinct phases of Lyme disease. Each phase involves different parts of the body.
- 1. Early localized disease causes skin rashes and redness.
- 2. Early disseminated disease affects the nervous system and heart. People in this stage may have palsies that exhibit paralysis and tremors. A rare but potentially life-threatening bacterial infection called meningitis may occur in this stage. Meningitis affects the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord .
- 3. Late disease involves arthritis and neurological issues. During this stage damage to nerves of sensation and movement can occur.
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Who Gets Lyme Disease
Anyone bitten by an infected deer tick can get Lyme disease. Most U.S. cases of Lyme disease happen in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. But Lyme disease is found in other parts of the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia too.
How To Avoid Tick Bites
To reduce the chance of being bitten:
- cover your skin while walking outdoors and tuck your trousers into your socks
- use insect repellent on your clothes and skin products containing DEET are best
- stay on clear paths whenever possible
- wear light-coloured clothing so ticks are easier to see and brush off
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Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- I found a tick embedded in my skin, but I cant get it out. What should I do?
- Ive been bitten by a tick. Do I need to be seen?
- Do I need a blood test to confirm Lyme disease?
- Which antibiotic is best for me?
- How long will I have to take the antibiotic?
- What tick or insect repellent should I use for me or my child?
- How long will the symptoms last?
- What should I do if I still dont feel well a long time after I was bitten?
When To See A Healthcare Provider
Keep in mind that not all people have all of the classic Lyme disease symptoms, which makes it important to see your practitioner if you develop a rash or fever following a tick bite, especially if you live in or visited an area where there are a lot of Lyme disease cases. In the United States, this includes the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, or north-central states.
Lyme Disease Doctor Discussion Guide
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Even in hyperendemic areas , the risk of developing Lyme disease is usually estimated to only be 3.5 percent at the most. It’s so low because even though up to 50 percent of ticks in endemic areas are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, most people remove ticks before the bacteria has had enough time to infect them.
Lyme disease is normally easily treated with common antibiotics. The earlier you’re treated for Lyme disease, the better, but even later stage cases usually respond well to medication.
Simple blood tests, which sometimes must be repeated to rule out infection, can give you and your family peace of mind.
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What Is A Tick
- A tick is a parasite that is 3 to 5 mm in size. They are so small that it can be hard to spot them immediately.
- They are the most common trouble for pets, especially the ones that roam outside more often.
- They feed on animals blood. Often time they go unnoticed because of their small size and painless bites.
- There are also different types of ticks. A deer tick is a common kind in the United States.
What Is Late Lyme Disease
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is caused by an infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria is disseminated through tick bites. Infected ticks usually bite small mammals, who do not develop any kind of infection from the bacteria. When humans are exposed to B. Burgdorferi from a tick bite, however, they can develop Lyme disease.
People who work outside or spend time in woodland areas, where there is greater potential for exposure to tick bites, are most at risk of infection.
Lyme disease is a condition which progresses in stages:
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What Should I Do If I Am Bitten By A Tick
If you experience a tick bite, the best way to remove it is by taking the following steps:
- Tug gently but firmly with blunt tweezers near the “head” of the tick at the level of your skin until it releases its hold on the skin.
- Avoid crushing the tick’s body or handling the tick with bare fingers as you could exposure yourself to the bacteria in the tick.
- Wash the bite area thoroughly with soap and water.
- DO NOT use kerosene, petroleum jelly , or hot cigarette butts to remove the tick.
- DO NOT squeeze the tick’s body with your fingers or tweezers.
Are Sjgrens And Lyme Disease The Same Thing
Lyme disease is a type of bacterial infection that develops when someone contracts the borrelia bacteria from an infected tick. The disease itself is often referred to as the Great Imitator because its symptoms are so general in nature and can be attributed to many different conditions. According to research, less than 25% of people with Lyme disease are correctly diagnosed with the infection. Symptoms that occur with Lyme disease include sore joints, flu-like symptoms, a bulls-eye rash at the bite site, fatigue, headache, and fever. If treatment isnt sought shortly after the onset of the bacterial infection, it can lead to further issues such as Lyme arthritis, nerve and brain problems, and issues with heart health.
Image by on Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, whereas Sjögrens is an autoimmune disease.
Sjögrens syndrome, on the other hand, is a chronic autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases develop when a persons own immune system begins attacking healthy cells in their body. The healthy cells that are attacked in Sjögrens lead to issues with moisture levels in the glands of the eyes and mouth. Unlike Lyme disease, there are two forms of Sjögrens syndrome: primary and secondary. Primary cases occur for an unknown reason, whereas secondary Sjögrens has an underlying cause. There is only one cause of Lyme disease the borrelia bacteria.
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Using Cbd Oil In Your Dogs Treatment Plan
There is anecdotal evidence that suggest CBD is a holistic solution that can improve your dogs overall mood and increase their appetite. The increase in appetite is important because Lyme disease in dogs can reduce their appetite. Although CBD oil is not a treatment for Lyme disease in dogs, it can help stimulate appetite and can help mitigate any pain or discomfort your dog may be feeling. If your dog has been diagnosed with Lyme disease you should speak with your trusted veterinarian to come up with a treatment plan that suits your dog.
What Are The Complications Of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease affects people differently. Relapse and incomplete treatment responses happen. Relapse and incomplete treatment responses happen. Complications of untreated early-stage disease include:
-
Joint disease
-
Frequent hospitalizations to manage the disease
Some of these complications result in chronic, debilitating conditions.
Some people may develop post-Lyme disease syndrome . A condition also known as chronic Lyme disease includes PLDS, but also other syndromes. Usually, these are characterized by persistent musculoskeletal and peripheral nerve pain, fatigue, and memory impairment.
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What Is Lyme Carditis
Following a tick bite, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease can spread to various organs and tissues in the body. When the heart becomes infected with Borrelia, the disease state is called Lyme carditis. Between 4%-10% of people with untreated Lyme disease develop Lyme carditis, but only 1% of people with known Lyme disease will develop Lyme carditis because of treatment. Lyme carditis symptoms occur about one to two months after the onset of infection, making it difficult to associate the symptoms with a tick bite that occurred weeks before. Lyme carditis is three times more common in men than women. All age groups are at risk for Lyme carditis, but people under 50 years-old are affected more frequently.
What You Need To Know
Lyme carditis occurs in up to 10% of cases of Lyme disease. The onset of symptoms is usually one to two months after the onset of infection. Cardiac symptoms may be the only manifestation of Lyme carditis, or someone may also experience Lyme diseases constitutional symptoms. Atrioventricular heart block is the most common Lyme carditis presentation and can cause lightheadedness, chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, and rarely death.
Lyme carditis should be suspected in anyone with a sudden onset of cardiac symptoms, mainly if they engaged in an outdoor activity one to two months before the onset of symptoms. Lyme carditis occurs more commonly in men under 50 years-old. A rash associated with Lyme disease can present with different characteristics than a bullseye rash. If a conduction disorder is diagnosed, physicians should immediately order a Lyme western blot test. Lyme carditis treated early with antibiotics can prevent the implantation of a permanent pacemaker and lead to a quick resolution of cardiac disease.
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