Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease is an illness caused by borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that is spread through deer ticks. Infected ticks usually don't spread Lyme disease for at least 36 to 48 hours so it is important to remove a tick as soon as you notice it. Your chances of getting bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease are higher if you spend a lot of time in grassy or wooded areas where these ticks breed. Not all deer ticks carry Lyme disease, in actuality, only a small percent of people and animals that are bitten by deer ticks get the disease.

Lyme disease was first recognized in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut, where the disease got its name in 1982. A group of children who all lived close to each other were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This led researchers to dig deeper into the children's cases where they eventually discovered the bacteria causing the conditions.

Some of the symptoms of Lyme disease include a circular red rash, fever, chills, headaches and body aches. Oral antibiotics are normally prescribed for the treatment of Lyme disease.

Fast Facts:

Caused by: Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium
Cases reported in all 50 states
Most prevalent in: Northeast, mid-Atlantic states
2005 cases: 23,305
National average: 7.9 cases per 100,000 persons
Average in 10 states where most common: 31.6 cases per 100,000
Treatment: antibiotics
No immunity
Can spread to heart and nervous system
Left untreated can spread to other parts of the body

Symptoms:

Circular rash
Flu like symptoms
Joint pain
Neurological problems
Fatigue

Prevention:

Light colored clothing
Long pants and sleeves when in grassy or wooded areas
Insect repellent
Tick proof your yard
Check body for ticks regularly
Don't think you are immune
Remove tick with tweezers

Disclaimer: The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you have Lyme Disease, please consult your doctor.

Categories

Health | Diseases

| View Note History

The Mahalo Top 7

CDC Division of Vector-Born Infectious Diseases (DVBID): Learn about Lyme Disease
MedlinePlus: Lyme Disease
Wikipedia: Lyme disease
WebMD: Lyme Disease - Topic Overview
MedicineNet.com: Lyme Disease Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
MayoClinic.com: Lyme disease
American Lyme Disease Foundation: Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease News

Topix: Lyme Disease News
Google News: Lyme Disease Search
HealthDay: Injectable Antibiotic Protects Against Lyme Disease in Mice (April 4, 2008)
St. Petersburg Times: It wasn't Lyme disease; or was it? A harrowing medical mystery (June 10, 2007)
The Boston Globe: Officials cite rise in Lyme disease (June 3, 2007)
HealthDay: Lyme Disease Relapse Often a New Infection (October 4, 2007)

Lyme Disease Facts

DVBID: Lyme Disease Statistics
American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP): Lyme Disease
TeensHealth: Lyme Disease
New York State Department of Health: Lyme Disease (tick-borne borreliosis, Lyme arthritis)
American Lyme Disease Foundation: Frequently Asked Questions

Lyme Disease Symptoms and Complications

DVBID: Lyme Disease Symptoms
MayoClinic.com: Lyme disease Signs and symptoms | Complications
eMedicineHealth: Lyme Disease Symptoms
WebMD: Lyme Disease-Symptoms - three stages

Lyme Disease Treatment Options

Lyme Disease Holistic and Alternative Treatment

LymeInfo: Lyme Disease Alternative Treatments and Remedies
University of Maryland Medical Center: Lyme disease: Complementary medicine
Homeopathic: Treating Lyme Disease Naturally
MotherNature.com: Lyme Disease
Alive: Disease of Disguise

Lyme Disease Prevention

DVBID: Lyme Disease Prevention
MayoClinic.com: Lyme disease Prevention
American Lyme Disease Foundation: Tick removal (videos)
WebMD: Lyme Disease-Prevention

Lyme Disease Scientific and Medical Journal Articles

International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society: Publications by ILADS Members
PubMed Central Search: Lyme Disease
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Search: Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Lyme Disease Clinical Trials
CenterWatch: Lyme Disease Clinical Trials

Lyme Disease Support Groups

Lyme Disease Network: Support Groups Listing
Daily Strength: Lyme Disease Support Group
MDJunction.com: Lyme Disease Support Group

Lyme Disease Discussion and Blogs

HealthBoards: Lyme Disease
HealingWell: Lyme Disease Forum
LymeBlog: Lyme Disease Posts
TierneyLab (NYT): Lyme Disease: To Spray or Not to Spray (June 4, 2007)

Related Pages on Mahalo

Arthritis | Fibromyalgia | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever | Bed Bugs