Lyme Disease

Infectious diseases are many and widespread, such as Lyme disease, which could lead to serious complications if not managed.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is an infectious disease that’s caused by Borrelia bacteria. Lyme disease develops in stages:

• The first stage, which occurs within 1-4 weeks.
• The second stage, which occurs within 1-4 months.
• The third stage, which occurs after 4 months and might extend for years.

Causes of Lyme disease

Borrelia bacteria, which cause Lyme disease, transfer through the bite of a type of tick that’s called a deer tick or black-legged tick, which can still stick on the human’s skin for many days.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

First stage symptoms:

• Rash, which usually starts as a small red circle at the place of the bite and then disseminate in the body.
• Headache.
• Fever.
• Extreme tiredness.
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Muscle and joint pain.

Second stage symptoms:

• Neck stiffness.
• Disseminated rash in the body.
• Weakness or numbness in the face muscles.
• Irregular heartbeats.
• Neuropathy.
• Weakness or numbness in the hands or feet.

Third stage symptoms:

• Arthritis, especially in the big joints like the knees.
• Nerve damage in several organs.
• Brain damage, which leads to focusing difficulty.
• In some cases, acrodermatitis chronic atrophicans.

Diagnosis of Lyme disease

• Physical examination.
• Blood tests.

Treatment of Lyme disease

• Antibiotics, which can be oral or IV, depending on the case.
• When you get bit by a tick, try to wear gloves, then slowly remove the tick with a small tweezer and put it in alcohol to kill it without touching or crushing it to prevent the spread of the bacteria. After that, wash your hands and the bite area with water and soap without squeezing or pressing the area, and go to the nearest health center.

Prevention of Lyme disease

Prevention in places where there are ticks is done by:

• Covering the skin with clothes.
• Applying tick repellent to the exposed skin and clothes.
• Covering the windows and doors.
• Constantly check your body.
• Avoid walking in places where there is overhanging grass and brush.