Deer ticks are tiny parasites that live on deer and other woodland creatures in the forests of North America and Europe and can carry the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria which causes Lyme disease. People who spend time hiking, camping or such run an increased risk of coming into contact with these parasites, which is why they should do all they can to become aware of prevention strategies and how to treat Lyme disease.
The symptoms vary from person to person, and sometimes they don't appear until as long as one month after the tick bite occurred. Common symptoms include fever and chills, headache, sore joints and muscles, and fatigue, as well as a bull's-eye pattern at the bite site. Some patients will also have a body rash. While rare, serious complications include miscarriage in pregnant women, liver or eye inflammation, Bell's palsy, irregular heartbeat, weakness or immobility of limbs, and meningitis.
A tick bite will not necessarily result in one contracting Lyme disease because not all deer ticks carry the bacteria, however it's always advisable to see a doctor as soon as possible if a bite is detected. If left to its own course, this illness can cause chronic arthritis and damage to the nervous system, which is why early treatment is critical.
Diagnosis is not normally done based on symptoms alone since there are also many other conditions which have similar manifestations. Without the characteristic rash, the doctor will likely ask the patient a series of questions, and also order some lab tests to look for antibodies to this particular strain of bacteria, namely the ELISA-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blot tests.
If Lyme disease is positively identified, antibiotic therapy will be administered to the patient. The sooner treatment is started, the better the prognosis for overcoming the illness. Usually amoxicillin or doxycycline will be prescribed, to be taken orally for two weeks to four weeks. Antibiotics taken for longer than this could actually do more harm than good.
Intravenous antibiotics will likely be given for one or two weeks, to patients with involvement of the heart or nervous system. Instead of doxycycline which can discolor developing teeth, penicillin or amoxicillin will be prescribed if the patient is a child under the age of 9, or a breastfeeding mother. In the case of allergies to penicillin-based drugs, erythromycin is a suitable alternative.
Prevention of Lyme disease is the best cure. When one will be outdoors in areas that are grassy or wooded, it's a good idea to wear light-colored, snug clothing which covers the arms and legs, tuck shirts into pants and pant-legs into socks or boots, stay on the central trails and avoid overgrown areas, wear repellents containing DEET or the tick repellent Permethrin, and spray it on clothing before venturing out. After returning home, checking oneself and their family members for signs of ticks is important, if they are removed early, infection may not occur.
Most patients can look forward to a complete recovery provided they receive early treatment. Antibodies can remain the bloodstream for as long as several years, but this does not mean that another infection cannot occur. Taking care to prevent exposure to the illness is always the best approach to take when going into the wilderness.
The symptoms vary from person to person, and sometimes they don't appear until as long as one month after the tick bite occurred. Common symptoms include fever and chills, headache, sore joints and muscles, and fatigue, as well as a bull's-eye pattern at the bite site. Some patients will also have a body rash. While rare, serious complications include miscarriage in pregnant women, liver or eye inflammation, Bell's palsy, irregular heartbeat, weakness or immobility of limbs, and meningitis.
A tick bite will not necessarily result in one contracting Lyme disease because not all deer ticks carry the bacteria, however it's always advisable to see a doctor as soon as possible if a bite is detected. If left to its own course, this illness can cause chronic arthritis and damage to the nervous system, which is why early treatment is critical.
Diagnosis is not normally done based on symptoms alone since there are also many other conditions which have similar manifestations. Without the characteristic rash, the doctor will likely ask the patient a series of questions, and also order some lab tests to look for antibodies to this particular strain of bacteria, namely the ELISA-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blot tests.
If Lyme disease is positively identified, antibiotic therapy will be administered to the patient. The sooner treatment is started, the better the prognosis for overcoming the illness. Usually amoxicillin or doxycycline will be prescribed, to be taken orally for two weeks to four weeks. Antibiotics taken for longer than this could actually do more harm than good.
Intravenous antibiotics will likely be given for one or two weeks, to patients with involvement of the heart or nervous system. Instead of doxycycline which can discolor developing teeth, penicillin or amoxicillin will be prescribed if the patient is a child under the age of 9, or a breastfeeding mother. In the case of allergies to penicillin-based drugs, erythromycin is a suitable alternative.
Prevention of Lyme disease is the best cure. When one will be outdoors in areas that are grassy or wooded, it's a good idea to wear light-colored, snug clothing which covers the arms and legs, tuck shirts into pants and pant-legs into socks or boots, stay on the central trails and avoid overgrown areas, wear repellents containing DEET or the tick repellent Permethrin, and spray it on clothing before venturing out. After returning home, checking oneself and their family members for signs of ticks is important, if they are removed early, infection may not occur.
Most patients can look forward to a complete recovery provided they receive early treatment. Antibodies can remain the bloodstream for as long as several years, but this does not mean that another infection cannot occur. Taking care to prevent exposure to the illness is always the best approach to take when going into the wilderness.
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