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With the summer and the hot weather in full swing, people are spending more time outdoors. More time outdoors can lead to increased exposure to insects such as ticks. The risk of being exposed to ticks is Lyme disease. The disease is spread most often in the spring and early summer. Lyme disease is the most common arthropod-borne disease in the United States. Each year, 30,000 cases of the disease are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But because of a misdiagnosis and misunderstanding, it is believed that the actual number of cases could reach 10 times the reported amount.
Lyme disease is an infection caused by a bacterium carried by ticks, also known as black legs. ticks. The infection can be transmitted to humans and animals if bitten by infected ticks. The disease attacks several systems in the body starting with the skin, spreading to the joints, the nervous system and even to other organs. The symptoms may persist for months or even years after treatment. If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to chronic and disabling conditions such as neurological and cardiac abnormalities.
The first sign of infection with Lyme disease is usually a reddish rash that spreads around the sting area. It can appear from three to 32 days after the bite. After the rash, an infected person may experience flu-like symptoms, headaches, muscle aches, fever, and general discomfort. Bacteria can spread into the bloodstream in the days or weeks after a bite. If untreated neurological problems can occur, such as facial paralysis, meningitis, inflammation of the spinal cord and mild encephalitis. In some cases, the disease can also cause abnormal heart rhythms.
A diagnosis of Lyme disease is normally determined by the symptoms of an individual, physical evidence on the body and history of tick exposure. Blood tests can be used for diagnosis, but sometimes lead to false negatives if performed at the stage of the initial infection. Lyme disease has often been misdiagnosed because its many symptoms are similar to those associated with other diseases. Conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and many other diseases have been confused with Lyme disease.
Lyme disease can be easily cured by appropriate treatment. The sooner the treatment is received, the better the cure rate. The main form of treatment is the oral antibiotic. Early infection can be treated with doxycycline, amoxicillin and ceftin. Lyme disease may require intravenous (IV) therapy.
The best defense against tick bites and infection with Lyme disease is prevention:
• Knowing where to expect ticks – woody, grassy, and scrubby areas. ] • Wear appropriate clothing – hat, long sleeves, long pants, light colored clothing.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET
• Check clothing after being outside. Remove the found ticks, wash the clothes with warm water and dry them on high heat
• Shower within two hours of entering the interior and do a full body inspection . Ticks like body folds such as armpits, back of knees, in and around ears, nape, around the waist and groin
If a tick is found on the body, it must be removed with care. If the tick is not engorged or swollen with blood, it has not been attached long enough to spread the infectious bacteria. It takes 36 to 48 hours for a deer tick to transmit the bacteria to Lyme disease.
The best way to remove a tick is to use sharp tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Do not twist or crush the body or remove the head. Pull the tick straight, without twisting or shaking. Do not apply irritants to the tick, such as rubbing alcohol or a hot match.
At one time, it was believed that people could not contract Lyme disease in North Carolina. But an increase in the number of confirmed cases throughout the state has changed this view. Although there is still a debate on the total number of true cases of Lyme disease and areas of the most affected state, it is certain that Lyme disease exists in our condition and it is worth better to prepare for it.
about Sampson County Partners for Healthy Carolinians, visit www.scpfhc.org or call 592-1131, ext. 4240.
Source: American Foundation for Lyme Disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Division NC DHHS
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