The borrelia bacteria is the cause of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is typically contracted by humans from tick bites.
Most of the United States is home to ticks that may be carriers of the bacteria borrelia. However, the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest are the regions where Lyme disease is most prevalent. It’s also widespread in southeast and central Canada, as well as in Europe.
Spending time in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas—areas where ticks reside—puts you at risk for contracting Lyme disease. The risk of Lyme disease can be decreased by taking precautions in these places.
Symptoms
Similar to a mosquito bite, a tick bite may appear as a tiny, irritating lump on your skin. It’s not a sign that you have an illness carried by ticks. Many people are not aware that they have been bitten by a tick.
Lyme disease symptoms can vary. Usually, they appear gradually. However, there may be overlap between the stages. Furthermore, some persons do not exhibit the usual early stage symptoms.
Phase 1
Early Lyme disease symptoms often appear three to thirty days following a tick bite. The symptoms at this stage of the disease are not very numerous. We refer to this as early localised illness.
One typical symptom of Lyme illness is a rash. However, this isn’t always the case. Usually, the rash starts as a single circle and gradually expands from the tick bite site. It could become visible in the middle and resemble a target or bull’s-eye. The rash is typically not unpleasant or itchy, although it frequently feels warm to the touch.
Additional symptoms in stage 1 consist of:
- high temperature.
- ache.
- excessive fatigue.
- rigidity in the joints.
- pains and aches in muscles.
- enlarged nodes of lymph.
Phase 2
The Lyme illness might worsen if left untreated. Usually, three to ten weeks following a tick bite, the symptoms manifest. Stage 2 is frequently more extensive and grave. It is referred to as early disseminated illness.
Along with the symptoms of stage 1, stage 2 may include the following:
- many rashes in different body areas.
- stiffness or soreness in the neck.
- weakening of the muscles of one or both cheeks.
- irregular heartbeats are caused by immune system activation in the cardiac tissue.
- pain that travels down the legs from the hips and back.
- hand or foot pain, numbness, or weakness.
- painful edoema in the eyelid or eye tissue.
- immune system activity in the nerves of the eyes that results in discomfort or blindness.
Phase 3
You can have additional symptoms in addition to those from the previous phases in the third stage. We refer to this stage as late disseminated disease.
Large joint arthritis, especially in the knees, is the most prevalent condition of this stage in the United States. Long-lasting pain, edoema, or stiffness are possible. Or perhaps the symptoms come and go. Typically, stage 3 symptoms appear two to twelve months following a tick bite.
Acrodermatitis chronic atrophicans is a skin ailment that can be brought on by the kind of Lyme disease that is prevalent in Europe. The tops of the feet and the backs of the hands experience swelling and discoloration of the skin. It could also appear across the knees and elbows. Severe cases may result in joint or tissue damage.
Causes
The borrelia bacteria is the cause of Lyme disease. The deer tick, commonly known as the black-legged tick, is the primary carrier of the bacterium in North America.
Lyme disease is brought on by a distinct species of Borrelia in Europe. The germs are carried by ticks. There are other names for these ticks, such as deer tick, sheep tick, and castor bean tick.
Bites from ticks
Ticks cling to their hosts’ skin in order to feed on blood. The tick continues to swell several times its normal size as a result of feeding. For several days, deer ticks can survive on the blood of their host.
Bacteria from a host, like a deer or rodent, are acquired by ticks. They never become ill. They can, however, transfer the germs to a different host. The bacteria can enter a person’s bloodstream when an infected tick feeds on them. If you remove the tick within 24 hours, there is a decreased chance that the germs may spread Lyme disease.
Ticks can carry the disease at any stage of their life. Little ticks are difficult to identify. If a baby tick bites you, you might not notice it.
Prevention
Steer clear of tick bites when you’re outside as this is the best defence against Lyme disease. Ticks typically cling to your lower limbs and feet as you labour or stroll through grassy, forested, or overgrown regions. A tick typically moves upward after attaching itself to your body in search of a place to burrow into your skin.
Use these precautions if you are or will be in an area where ticks are known to reside.
Apply repellents for ticks.
- Apply a repellent containing 0.5% permethrin on your tent, shoes, outdoor apparel, and other camping equipment. Permethrin may be used as a pre-treatment on some equipment and clothes.
- On any exposed skin, excluding your face, use an insect repellent that has been registered with the Environmental Protection Agency. These include repellents containing 2-undecanone, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), picaridin, DEET, or IR3535.
- Children under the age of three should not use products containing OLE or PMD.
Put on protective clothing.
- To make it simpler for you or others to spot ticks on your clothing, wear light-colored clothing.
- Keep sandals and open-toed shoes away.
- Put on long shirts and tuck them into your jeans.
- Put on long trousers with your socks tucked in.
Look for ticks.
- To remove any loose ticks, take a shower as soon as you can. Verify if any ticks have burrowed.
- Examine your body in a mirror. Take note of your hairline, underarms, and hair. Additionally examine your waist, ears, and the spaces below your knees, inside your belly button, and between your legs.
- Examine your equipment. To get rid of ticks, place your outdoor clothing in the dryer on high for at least ten minutes before washing.
Additional advice
- Check your pet for ticks every day if it spends any time outside.
- In forested and grassy regions, try to stay on designated paths as much as you can.
