Dangerous Lyme Disease on the Rise

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Spring and Summer are here and millions of Americans are venturing outdoors from their winter hibernation indoors. Likewise, insects, spiders and all kinds of flying, creeping and crawling critters are also coming out and invading the great outdoors that so many of us enjoy. By outdoors, I mean everything from mountains, woods, deserts, lakes, streams and parks to your own yard.

Some of these creepy crawlies not only target our pets, but they also target us. Among them are ticks. We often think of ticks as being a parasite that attacks our dogs and cats (hence the market for flea and tick products), but ticks infect birds, mammals, reptiles and PEOPLE. They feed on blood with the bigger the blood supply, the better the target.

Some ticks, mainly the blacklegged ticks, become infected with a bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is transferred from the tick into the blood stream of its human host, causing Lyme disease.

According to the CDC:

“Early Signs and Symptoms (3 to 30 days after tick bite)

 

  • Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes

 

  • Erythema migrans (EM) rash:
  • Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons
  • Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days)
  • Expands gradually over a period of days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across
  • May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful
  • Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull’s-eye” appearance
  • May appear on any area of the body

 

 

Later Signs and Symptoms (days to months after tick bite)

 

  • Severe headaches and neck stiffness

 

  • Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body
  • Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints.
  • Facial palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face)
  • Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
  • Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
  • Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
  • Nerve pain
  • Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet
  • Problems with short-term memory”

 

 

As you can see, Lyme disease can become quite serious.

The CDC reports that there are about 30,000 diagnosed cases of Lyme disease each year, but they suspect the real number is closer to 300,000 actual cases of Lyme disease, many of which are diagnosed as something else or the person does not see a doctor.

Currently, the majority of cases of Lyme disease are found in the northeast and north central states, but cases of Lyme disease have been reported in the majority of US states.

Additionally, health experts say that the number of Lyme disease cases have been increasing and this year shows a larger increase of cases. Don’t let ticks prevent you from enjoying the great outdoors, but do take some precautions, such as using an insect repellant containing DEET.

Therefore, take extra precautions whenever you go outdoors, even in your own backyard. After venturing outdoors, make sure you check yourself all over for any ticks. Trust me, you will not feel them crawl up nor will you feel them bite you, but they could be there. If possible, have someone check your back and hair. Such a check over could well save you from months of agony suffering from Lyme disease.

If you do find a tick, don’t just grab and yank it out as the head can easily detach and remain inside the bite, causing more problems and an infection. It is recommended to use a pair of tweezers or your fingernails, grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and then GENTLY and slowly pull until the entire tick, head and all, comes lose and then dispose of the tick.

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