An Ottawa child has Lyme disease and meningitis after a tick bite

Ontario woman urges Canadians to learn about the signs and symptoms of tick bite and Lyme disease after her five-year-old Lyme disease and meningitis, possibly due to a tick in Ottawa. His son, who has been misdiagnosed by doctors on several occasions, was hospitalized with the help of a heart monitor and an intravenous antibiotic pump, all because of the pain. a small tick carrying the disease.

It took Mandy Green and his son, Chase, several doctor and hospital visits to correctly diagnose early disseminated Lyme Syndrome and meningitis, an inflammation of the brain's lining. In fact, when Chase had a correct diagnosis, he had a lot of pain. Chase had to undergo surgery to insert a catheter into his chest to receive intravenous antibiotics. Following this terrifying experience, Mandy calls others to become aware of the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.

This comes just weeks after Ottawa Public Health warned residents in the capital to take extra precautions when traveling because Ottawa is considered a "risk area" for Lyme disease.

According to Health Canada, there are a number of symptoms badociated with Lyme disease. In particular, people should look for a "rash, which looks like a red spot surrounded by a circle. These can be on any part of the body, and there can be just one or more points. The rash is often, but not always, accompanied by fever, extreme fatigue, feeling of weakness or discomfort, and swollen lymph nodes.

While many people who contract Lyme disease are able to fight it without treatment, for others, there can be frightening complications if there is no intervention medical.

For people with untreated Lyme disease, symptoms can include severe headache, facial paralysis, arthritis and more. Acute Lyme disease can also lead to neurological disorders. This is how Chase was found with meningitis.

According to Dr. Jason Brophy, a specialist in infectious diseases in children, the form of meningitis badociated with Lyme disease can occur several weeks after a tick bite. Therefore, it is important to remain alert in case of discomfort due to a suspected bite.

If it is important to know the signs of Lyme disease, prevention is the best form of protection. Experts recommend that the best way to avoid ticks is to wear long clothes, with pants hidden in socks and shoes. Ontarians are also advised to wear a powerful insect repellent containing Deet or Picaridin, which will prevent ticks from attaching to your skin.

Ticks tend to drag in wooded and grbady areas, so it is safer to stay on public roads. When you return home after being outdoors, you should check your body for ticks, looking for hard-to-reach areas such as armpits, groin, behind the knees and between the toes.

Although Chase is recovering completely, Mandy wants all Canadians to know better the ticks and recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease when they appear. In a Facebook post, Mandy invited others to check themselves out, noting that they'd never found the tick that infected Chase. She concluded the message by saying, "Listen to your instincts, get a second opinion, defend your interests and those of your children."