In summer months, the active woman must think about the possibility of contracting Lyme disease. Constant hiking, mountain-climbing, or even just exploring puts her in direct risk of wandering into a tick infested area. This article is formulated to educate all women as to what Lyme disease is, what the symptoms are, and how to deal with it if you are unlucky enough to contract it.
Lyme disease comes from the bite of an infected deer tick. The bite may look so unassuming that you will either miss it entirely, or pass it off as an insect bite. Most people do not know that they have been bitten by a deer tick because they are so small, about the size of a comma.
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A tick bite might look harmless, but the bacteria that the tick carries can cause Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses. Some experts believe that the tick has to be attached for at least 24 hours to transmit the bacteria to a person who has been bitten.
Therefore it is important to do tick checks as soon as you leave a wooded area and if you find one, remove it from your skin as soon as possible. This disease is more common during the summer months, and although it was once thought to be found mostly in the Northern States of the US, cases have been documented in all 50 states.
Once you have contracted the disease, it progresses in 3 stages of symptoms. In the first stage, within two to three weeks after the initial bite, your skin may develop a rash, commonly referred to as a bull's eye, or target rash, due to it's shape. The rash will begin as a large red spot that can be either flat or bumpy. It will expand over a couple of days, usually in a circular, or "bulls-eye" pattern. At this time, the center of the bite will probably clear, although occasionally the rash blisters or scabs in the center. This rash can appear anywhere, and the area can feel warm to the touch, although not painful. The "bulls eye rash" only appears in approximately 50% of people who contract lyme disease.
Flu symptoms may accompany this rash as well. The rash should fade after a couple of weeks, with or without treatment. It is advised to go to your primary physician if you have had a deer tick attached to you and are having symptoms as waiting for or putting off treatment can cause years of moderate to severe symptoms, and some although rarily could be life threatening.
Stage two of the disease can lead to devastating symptoms. Symptoms usually affect the nervous system and can include meningitis (inflammation of the brain lining and spinal cord), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and cranial neuritis (inflammation of the cranial nerves). About 8% of patients in this stage can also evidence symptoms that involve problems with the heart. It is also common to see joint problems during this stage that will fade as the disease wanes.
Stage three of this disease occurs anywhere from a few weeks to 2 years after initial contraction. Arthritis is the main problem in this stage, affecting patients in both temporary episodes and/or continually. Symptoms can include numbness in extremities, trouble with concentration, weakness, and depression.
Lyme disease is diagnosed through a conclusive examination and/or a blood test. Antibiotics are available to combat the disease, although if the patient has reached stage 2 or 3, further medical attention will be needed.
The best way to combat Lyme disease is through prevention of contracting the disease in the first place. Practical knowledge of what causes this disease and practicing counter measures can drastically reduce the spread of this disease.
When hiking, spray on tick repellant, and/or where clothing tucked into shoes and covering all exposed areas of skin. If you do get bitten by a tick, remove it as soon as possible and clean the area as thoroughly as possible. If you take the necessary countermeasures, the risk of contracting this disease will be very very low.
One of the scary things about lyme disease, is that many who contract it get bitten in their own back yards as they haven't been hiking. And because the deer tick is so small it can become ingorged and fall off before a person knows they have been bitten.
Symptoms can be so vague that they are passed off as a virus and treatment is delayed resulting tin dehabilitating symptoms. It is called the "great mimicker" because so many illnesses have the same symptoms and often lyme disease is missed.
