Essay About Lyme Disease And Lyme Disease Вђ

Lyme Disease
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Abstract
Spring has arrived, people emerge from their wintertime captivity to enjoy the
great outdoors. Unfortunately there is a small insect as well who likes to introduce
himself to the warm weather too. It is the tick, best known as the carrier of the bacteria
that cause Lyme disease – the silent plague.
Lyme disease may be on peoples minds as the weather warms up and people spend
more time outside their home. What exactly is Lyme disease? How is Lyme disease
diagnosed? What are the symptoms? How can you avoid getting it? What treatments
are available? Lets take a closer look at this disease.
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease was first described in the United States in the town Lyme,
Connecticut in the early 1970s. It was a mysterious outbreak of arthritis cases among
children. They discovered that the affected children lived near wooded areas and the
symptoms typically started in the ticks height season. Further investigations resulted in
the discovery that tiny deer ticks infected with a spiral-shaped bacterium or spirochete
were responsible for the outbreak of arthritis in Lyme. The disease is difficult to
diagnose, because the symptoms are very similar to other diseases. Most infections
occur in the spring and summer. Lyme disease is a infectious disease. It affects the
skin first, then the joints, the nervous system and, if untreated, eventually other organs
like the heart.
What causes Lyme Disease?
Many people think that Lyme disease is caused by ticks. However, it is actually a
disease caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is usually
found in animals such as mice and deer. Ticks can pick up the bacteria when they bite
an infected animal. The ticks can attach themselves to humans and bite them. The ticks
can then transmit the bacteria to the human which can lead to Lyme disease. NOT all
ticks carry the bacteria.
How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
The first step is a physical examination. The most telling symptom of Lyme disease is
the circular expanding, classic red rash. Usually, because the rash is very distinct, a
person with the rash can be immediately diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Blood test for antibodies to Lyme bacteria is not really necessary in early stages of the
disease but it can help to diagnose it in later stages. Antibodies which are produced by
the body against the bacteria can be an evidence that the individual is exposed with the
bacteria.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
A characteristic red rash usually occurs at the site of the bite; however, the bite
may go unnoticed. A few months after the bite, muscle paralysis, joint inflammation,
neurological symptoms and sometimes heart symptoms may occur. Lyme disease may
be hard to detect because its symptoms are similar to another illnesses.
Most Common Symptoms – Early Infection
An illness with flu-like symptoms during spring and summer
A skin rash which varies in size, shape and color
A flat