Where Does Lyme Disease Come From

Stage : Small Oval Rashes Or A Reddish Lump

When a tick that causes Lyme disease bites you, it infects you with bacteria. Without treatment, the bacteria can spread to other areas of your body. Stage 2 begins when the bacteria spread to other parts of your body.

During this stage, you may see small, oval rashes on your skin. Some people develop a bluish-red lump.

Where you see these signs: Because the infection has spread, small rashes can appear anywhere on your skin, except for your palms and soles. Most rashes appear on the arms, legs, and face.

Some people develop a lump, which your doctor may refer to as borrelial lymphocytoma. In children, this lump tends to appear on an earlobe. Adults often see a raised growth form around a nipple.

Borrelial lymphocytoma on a childs ear

This can appear in stage 2 of Lyme disease.

What you may see on your skin: The rashes that appear during stage 2 differ from the rash that can appear in stage 1. In stage 2, the rashes stay the same size rather than grow larger.

When the rashes, lump, and symptoms begin: About 30 to 45 days after the tick bites you, you may notice rashes or a lump. These can also take longer to appear, sometimes six months or more.

Some people develop symptoms, which make them feel ill, including:

• Shortness of breath and dizzy spells

• Bells palsy, which causes one half of the face to droop

• Heart problems, such as chest pains or an irregular heartbeat

What Should You Do If You Find A Tick

• Don’t touch the tick with your bare hand.

• Use a pair of tweezers to remove the tick. Grab the tick firmly by its mouth or head as close to your skin as possible.

• Pull up slowly and steadily without twisting until it lets go. Don’t squeeze the tick, and don’t use petroleum jelly, solvents, knives, or a lit match to kill the tick.

• Save the tick. Place it in a plastic container or bag so it can be tested for disease, if needed.

• Wash the bite area well with soap and water and put an antiseptic lotion or cream on the site.

Origin Of Lyme Disease

While evidence of diseases caused by ticks have existed for thousands of years, it wasnt until the mid-1970s that the Lyme disease we know today was established.

In 1975, in Connecticut, there were several cases of what was thought to be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. They all appeared in the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme, hence giving it the name we use today. Other names used were Lyme arthritis, Lyme borreliosis or borreliosis.

The children in Lyme and Old Lyme had swollen knees, skin rashes, headaches and were often tired. It was the moms of these children that pushed scientists to learn more about this disease.

It wasnt until the 1980s that Willy Burgdorferi entered the picture. He was studying rocky mountain spotted fever, another tick-borne disease. He was able to make the connection that it was the deer tick responsible for this disease.

Burgdorfer discovered the bacteria carried by the deer tick too. It was called spirochete and it was causing Lyme disease. Since his discovery, this bacterium has been renamed to borrelia burgdorferi, in his honor.

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Stage : Early Disseminated Lyme Disease

Timing: Weeks to months after a tick bite

In early disseminated Lyme disease, the infection has started to move beyond the site of your tick bite to other parts of your body such as your heart, brain, or spinal cord. Lyme disease that has moved to the brain is sometimes referred to as Lyme neuroborreliosis, or neurological Lyme disease.

Common symptoms of early disseminated Lyme disease include:

• More than one EM rash

• Pain that may come and go and move around the body, in joints, tendons, muscles, and bones

• Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord , which can cause severe headache, neck stiffness, and sensitivity to light and sound

• Numbness, weakness, or tingling in the arms and legs

• Weakness or drooping on one or both sides of the face difficulty closing an eyelid

• Inflammation of the heart that can cause heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting. If you are experiencing any of these heart symptoms, seek immediate medical care.

You may also experience a worsening of earlier Lyme disease symptoms.

Lyme disease can cause joint pain , a stiff neck , or weakness or drooping on one or both sides of the face, known as facial palsy .

Where Lyme Disease Really Comes From & How To Recognize Its Lesser

Where does Lyme disease come from?

If you ask the average person or healthcare professional, theyll tell you Lyme disease comes from tick bites.

And, as we touched on in our last article: Important New Findings on Lyme Disease/Chronic Lyme Disease and How it Affects You, that is not untrue.

Lyme disease often does come from tick bites. Here in the Northeast and Mid Atlanta states, the black legged tick aka deer tick is the main vector of the bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme.

But, what if I told you that Lyme does not always come from ticks? And that it can come from a variety of lesser-known sources.

Now, what if I also told you that the symptoms of Lyme disease are not limited to a bulls-eye rash, acute case of flu-like symptoms, high fever, and joint stiffness?

This is also true.

I know, because I help people overcome mysterious cases of Lyme disease every single day. Ive also experienced its symptoms personallyand it took me years to figure out what was going on with my health.

So, lets re-evaluate this fundamental question concerning Lyme and chronic Lyme disease:

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Where Does Lyme Disease Really Come From

We all know Lyme disease is spreading rapidly throughout the country, yet few of us know about its colorful history.

Much of what Im about to share with you is not general public knowledge, but if you dig enough you will find it.

In August of 2017, the Yale School of Public Health released new findings confirming Lyme microbes have been circulating through North American forests for 60,000 years.

Lyme microbes were being employed by the US military in the 1950s via ticks and mosquitoes in the development of germ warfare against the Russians.

Use of ticks as disease carriers for germ warfare may sound bizarre, but it has been documented throughout history through books like, Lab 257 and in a variety of research papers.

But it wasnt until 1976 that the first outbreak of modern-day Lyme was recorded in Lyme, CT and the term Lyme Disease was coined.

It was believed then, as it is believed now, that Lyme came from infected ticks.

Who Gets Lyme Disease

Lyme disease can affect people of any age. People who spend time outdoors in activities such as camping, hiking, golfing, or working or playing in grassy and wooded environments are at increased risk of exposure. The chances of being bitten by a deer tick are greater during times of the year when ticks are most active. Ticks can be active any time the temperature is above 45° F. Young deer ticks, called nymphs, are active from mid-May to mid-August and are about the size of poppy seeds. Adult ticks are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November and are about the size of sesame seeds. Both nymphs and adults can spread Lyme disease. Infected deer ticks can be found throughout New York State.

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Later Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

More serious symptoms may develop if Lyme disease is left untreated or is not treated early. These can include:

• pain and swelling in the joints
• nerve problems such as numbness or pain in your limbs
• memory problems
• difficulty concentrating

Some of these problems will get better slowly with treatment. But they can persist if treatment is started late.

A few people with Lyme disease go on to develop long-term symptoms similar to those of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. This is known as post-infectious Lyme disease. It’s not clear exactly why this happens. It’s likely to be related to overactivity of your immune system rather than continued infection.

How To Spot And Remove Ticks

Once youve come in from outside, one of the best ways to check yourself for ticks is to take a shower and bath.

Other than that, do your best to check your clothes, especially the folds of your clothes, knowing that ticks can be very small and hard to spot. Running your hands through your hair is also a good idea.

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Where Does Lyme Disease Come From

by Lyme Mexico | Nov 6, 2019 | News |

According to the Center for Disease Control, at least 30,000 cases of Lyme Disease are reported. But this does not consider the hundreds of thousands that are diagnosed by doctors. In fact, Harvard University reports more than 300,000 are diagnosed with a tick-borne disease every year.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America reports tick-borne diseases have been reported in all 48 states and Alaska. The majority, however, are in the Northeast and Midwest.

In the Northeast, Connecticut specifically, is where it originated.

What Do You Do If There’s A Tick Under Your Skin

Use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers to remove it as soon as possible. Pull upward with steady pressure. If parts of the tick are still in your skin, try to get those with the tweezers, too. After everything is out, clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

You probably wonât get infected if you remove the tick within 36 to 48 hours.

How do you throw away a tick?

Put it in soapy water or alcohol, stick it to a piece of tape, or flush it down the toilet.

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Can Lyme Disease Be Prevented

People aren’t able to become immune to Lyme disease. So even if you’ve had Lyme disease, you can get it again. No vaccine is available currently to prevent the disease.

The FDA approved a Lyme vaccine called LYMErix in 1998. The vaccine was not 100% effective, however. The FDA still recommended preventing the disease in other ways. In 2002, the company that made LYMErix said it would no longer offer the vaccine.

To help prevent Lyme disease, follow these guidelines.

Who Is At Risk

Many occupations may be at risk, including forestry, farming, veterinarians, construction, landscaping, ground keepers, park or wildlife management, and anyone who either works outside or has contact with animals that may carry ticks

Similarly, any person who spends a lot time outdoors , especially in grassy or wooded areas may also be at risk.

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What’s The Best Way To Prevent A Tick Bite

Ticks can’t fly or jump. But they live in shrubs and bushes and can grab onto you when you pass by. To avoid getting bitten:

• Wear pants and socks in areas with lots of trees and when you touch fallen leaves.
• Wear a tick repellent on your skin and clothing that has DEET, lemon oil, or eucalyptus.
• For even more protection, use the chemical permethrin on clothing and camping gear.
• Shower within 2 hours after coming inside. Look for ticks on your skin, and wash ticks out of your hair.
• Put your clothing and any exposed gear into a hot dryer to kill whatever pests might be on them.

How do you know if you’ve been bitten?

Since ticks are so small, you’ve got to have pretty good eyes to see them.

If you have a small, red bump on your skin that looks like a mosquito bite, it could be a tick bite. If it goes away in a few days, itâs not a problem. Remember, a tick bite doesnât necessarily mean you have Lyme disease.

If you notice a rash in the shape of a bull’s-eye, you might have a tick bite. Talk to your doctor about treatment.

If you have an allergic reaction to ticks, you’ll notice a bite right away.

How Did Shania Twain Lose Weight Does It Come From Lyme Disease

Shania Twain, also known as Eilleen Regina Shania Twain, is a Canadian singer and songwriter.

She was born on August 28, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario, to Sharon and Clarence Edwards. Due to her success, she was dubbed Queen of Country Pop and ranked as Billboards top crossover country-pop artist of the 1990s.

People curios about how she loss weight lets check out

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What Tests Are Available For Lyme Disease

When a person becomes infected, the body creates antibodies to protect itself from the bacteria. Certain blood tests are available to measure these antibodies. However, sometimes a “false negative” test can result if there are not enough antibodies in the blood for the tests to detect accurately. A doctor should also do a complete medical examination and gather information about your recent outdoor activities in order to make a clinical diagnosis for Lyme disease.

What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

The list of possible symptoms is long, and symptoms can affect every part of the body. The following are the most common symptoms of Lyme disease. But symptoms are slightly different for each person.

The primary symptom is a red rash that:

• Can appear several days after infection, or not at all

• Can last up to several weeks

• Can be very small or grow very large , and may resemble a “bulls-eye”

• Can mimic such skin problems as hives, eczema, sunburn, poison ivy, and flea bites

• Can itch or feel hot, or may not be felt at all

• Can disappear and return several weeks later

Several days or weeks after a bite from an infected tick, you may have flu-like symptoms such as the following:

Weeks to months after the bite, the following symptoms may develop:

• Neurological symptoms, including inflammation of the nervous system and weakness and paralysis of the facial muscles

• Heart problems, including inflammation of the heart and problems with heart rate

• Eye problems, including inflammation

Months to a few years after a bite, the following symptoms may include:

• Inflammation of the joints

• Neurological symptoms including numbness in the extremities, tingling and pain, and difficulties with speech, memory, and concentration

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 Does Lyme Disease Look Like On The Skin

There are several different rashes that may be the sign of Lyme disease. While the bulls eye rash is the most common and well known, its not always the only type of rash that may occur with this disease. Other rashes can look like an oval, circular, or triangular patch of red skin.

The rash usually appears in the first few days following a tick bite. It can be small and itchy, or it can be large and painful. In 80% of cases, the rash will appear near the bite site. However, some people will not develop a rash if they have dark skin.

Erythema migrans, or ECM, is the most common cutaneous manifestation of Lyme disease. It usually develops within 30 to 45 days after a tick bite. However, in some patients, it may appear more than six months after a tick bite. It looks like a circular, bluish-red plaque and can range in size from one to a few centimeters in diameter. Its usually on the lower extremities and often occurs around the earlobe.

Achy Stiff Or Swollen Joints

Joint pain and stiffness, often intermittent, are early Lyme symptoms. Your joints may be inflamed, warm to the touch, painful, and swollen. You may have stiffness and limited range of motion in some joints .

Pain may move around. Sometimes your knees may hurt, whereas other times its your neck or your heels. You may also have bursitis . Bursae are the thin cushions between bone and surrounding tissue.

The pain may be severe, and it may be transitory. More than one joint may be affected. Most often the large joints are involved .

People often attribute joint problems to age, genetics, or sports. Lyme should be added to that list, as these statistics indicate:

• One study estimates that 80 percent of people with untreated Lyme have muscle and joint symptoms .
• Fifty percent of people with untreated Lyme have intermittent episodes of arthritis .
• Two-thirds of people have their first episode of joint pain within six months of the infection .
• Use of anti-inflammatory drugs may mask the actual number of people with joint swelling .

Summary:

Joint pain that comes and goes, or moves from joint to joint, could be a sign of Lyme.

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Can You Have Lyme Disease Without Knowing

The Lyme test came back positive. Greene is one of many people who don’t notice early signs of Lyme disease, brush off the symptoms, or whose medical providers missed the symptoms, which often include fever, headache, fatigue, and a bull’s-eye skin rash called erythema migrans, considered the hallmark of the disease.

Are Some Locations More At Risk Than Others

Yes and no. There are areas in which the bacteria is endemic meaning the disease is established and present more or less continually in that community.

In Canada, blacklegged tick populations have been confirmed or are growing in the following areas:

• Southern British Columbia.
• Southern New Brunswick and Grand Manan Island.
• South shore and northern mainland Nova Scotia.

However, it is important to note that ticks can be spread by birds, in particular songbirds that feed off the forest floor. Because these birds are migratory, there is the potential for new populations of the bacteria to spread across the country. This fact means that you do not have to be in an endemic or high-risk area to be at risk of contacting ticks and the disease.

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