Lyme's Disease: Is it affecting YOU?

Lyme's Disease

1) Late spring and early summer are the worst times to get bitten by a tick.

Some ticks carry a bacterium called Borrelia.

When this bacterium enters the human body some people complain about flu-like symptoms and a bull’-eye rash.

Other symptoms can be muscle pain, paralysis, blindness, arthritic, neurological, psychiatric and cardiac problems.

If treated immediately with strong antibiotics or a plant extract called cat’s claw long term damage can often be prevented but not always.

Many people who are infected with the bacterium do not notice any symptoms at first.

At a later stage, they might experience symptoms which are usually diagnosed as severe arthritis, ME or fibromyalgia but in fact suffer from Lyme’s disease.

2) Lyme’s disease is very difficult to diagnose.

Some people might have antibodies in the bloodstream which would show up in a blood test.

Many people have no testable indication. Their blood test results might even be negative but they might still be infected with the bacterium.

Borrelia is not a simple bacterium, it is a kind of super-microbe.

It can exist in at least three different morphological forms, from an ordinary cellular creature to a tiny spiral-shaped creature which can hide in body tissue, to cystic forms with no cell wall.

3) In England and Wales the number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease rose to 684 last year.

In Scotland cases with Lyme’s have risen a tenfold in a decade, last year doubling to 177.

The real number of people suffering from Lyme’s disease is in fact higher because of the difficulty to diagnose it properly and because of its major ability to mimic many other diseases.

Some sources estimate that up to 300 medical conditions are related to Lyme’s.

Prevention in Risk Areas

Keep skin covered and, where possible, avoid brushing against vegetation.

Inspect clothing and body regularly when you spend time in the countryside.

Remember, dogs and cats may be bitten and infected. If your dog or cat becomes noticeably lethargic and you are concerned about Lyme Disease, seek Veterinary advice promptly.


Removal

Do not panic, but remove the tick with tweezers as soon as possible. They will crawl about before biting.

An infected tick will not usually pass on the infection until it is fully engorged with blood. Not every tick carries Lyme Disease.

Not every bite will transmit the disease, even if the tick is infected and not removed. If a rash or 'flu-like illness develops after you have been exposed to ticks, or the site becomes infected, seek medical advice promptly.

Check your pets for ticks and remove them.


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