(beep)
As you venture outside and are more and more active,
those poppy seed size health-threatening bugs are making their way out to play.
Any guesses? Lyme disease.
(beep)
(heart thumping)
Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick commonly known as the deer tick.
Not to be confused with the dog tick. Which is typically larger and not common to spread any illnesses.
Most recent estimates are of 427,000 new cases of Lyme disease in the US every year.
However, just because you got bit by a tick doesn't necessarily mean that you have Lyme disease.
Hey everybody. I'm Dr. Jordan Wagner.
I'm a board-certified emergency medicine physician and on my show,
I answer your urgent medical questions and clear up myths about certain deadly diseases.
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What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick commonly known as the deer tick.
These eight-legged creatures about the size of a poppy seed can transmit bacteria if attached to your skin for 36 to 48 hours or even longer.
If you remove a tick within two days your risk of acquiring Lyme disease is low.
Lyme disease is caused by four main species of a bacteria,
Borrelia burgdorferi is the most common cause of Lyme disease in the United States.
There are three other subcategories of borella.
They are common across different places in different regions of the world.
Who is at risk for Lyme disease?
In the United States deer ticks are found mostly in the heavily wooded areas of the Northeast and Midwest.
Where work, where you live, or vacation can affect your chances of getting Lyme disease.
The most common risk factors for Lyme disease includes spending time in wooded or grassy areas, having exposed skin, and not removing ticks promptly, and properly.
If you do find a tick attached to your skin remove the tick as soon as possible with tweezers. Gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth.
Do not squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily.
Once you've removed the entire tick dispose of it by putting in alcohol or flushing it down the toilet and apply antiseptic to the bite area.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
One of the first signs someone will experience when being bitten by an infected tick by it is a rash.
A Lyme disease rash and a mosquito bite are often mistaken for one another.
The biggest difference between the two is itch.
Does it itch? It's probably just a mosquito bite.
If the bite doesn't itch and it's warm to touch you might want to consider getting it checked out.
Although not everyone develops a rash or in doctor terms erythema migrant this rash can sometimes develop on multiple areas of the body.
This rash is a red area that sometimes have a central clearing forming a bull's eye pattern.
The rash expands slowly over days and can spread up to 12 inches in diameter.
Some other common Lyme disease symptoms to be aware of is fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, neck stiffness, and swollen lymph nodes can accompany this rash.
When should someone see a doctor?
Only a minority of the tick bites lead to Lyme disease.
The longer the tick remains attached to your skin the greater the risk of getting the disease.
Lyme infection is unlikely if the tick is attached for less than 36 to 48 hours.
If you think you've been bitten and have signs and symptoms of Lyme disease particularly,
if you live in an area where Lyme disease is prevalent contact your doctor.
Treatment for Lyme disease is more effective if begun early.
Consult your doctor, even if signs and symptoms disappear.
The absence of symptoms does not mean the disease is gone.
Untreated Lyme disease can spread to other parts of your body for several months to years after infection causing arthritis and nervous system problems.
Ticks can also transmit other illnesses such as babesiosis or ehrlichiosis.
Untreated Lyme disease can lead to serious health complications such as chronic joint inflammation, facial palsies, neuropathy, cognitive deficits, and heart rhythm irregularities.
How is Lyme Disease diagnosed?
If your doctors suspects that you have Lyme disease they may order to a blood test.
These will look for the signs that your body is trying to fight it off.
The results are most precise a few weeks after you've been infected.
These tests include an ELISA test enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a Western blot test.
The ELISA test can't check for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease but it can look for your immune system’s response to it.
Once borrelia burgdorferi gets into your bloodstream your body begins to make special proteins called antibodies to fight it off.
The ELISA test checks for these specific antibodies.
Although it's the most common way to check for Lyme disease the ELISA test isn't perfect.
It can sometimes give false-positive results in addition to the ELISA test your doctor will perform a Western blot test.
A Western blot test uses electricity to split certain proteins in your blood into patterns.
These results are then compared to other people who have had known Lyme disease.
Some labs even offer a test for Lyme disease using urine or other body fluids.
These methods aren't approved by the FDA and results are often incorrect.
You may be told that you have Lyme disease when in fact you don't.
How can Lyme disease be prevented? Cover up.
If you're having a picnic in the grass or you're going for a hike through the woods, I'd advise that you wear long sleeve clothing, tube socks, yes, they're still in style, and long pants.
Apply insect repellent with 20% or higher concentration of DEET to your skin.
Parents should apply repellent to their children avoiding their hands, eyes, and mouth.
Keep in mind that chemical repellent can be toxic so follow directions carefully.
Apply products with permethrin clothing or buy pretreated clothing.
Do your best to tick proof your yard.
Clear brush and leaves were takes live, mow your lawn regularly, stack wood neatly in dry sunny areas to discourage rodents that carry ticks.
What are the treatments for Lyme disease? Antibiotics.
Antibiotics are used to treat the early stages of Lyme infection.
Patients typically take doxycycline for 10 days up to three weeks or amoxicillin and cephalexin for two to three weeks.
There are also times when a doctor can give a prophylactic dose of doxycycline after exposure.
We cannot easily forecast how severe a tick season will be.
However, we do know that thousands of individuals are bitten by ticks and get sick every year.
We should be aware that ticks can be in the areas where we live, work, and play.
We should take steps to protect ourselves and our family members including our four-legged ones.
All right, that's been a quick Lyme disease break down with me, Dr. Wagner.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other medical questions that you want me to go over and as always please subscribe and turn your bell notifications on.
Thank you so much for watching and stay healthy my friends.