What exactly causes Lyme disease and what you need to monitor

Lyme disease is not one of the most common diseases, but it is one of the most common to go unnoticed.

In most cases, people are infected after a bite by a tick, but there are other ways to develop these deadly diseases.

Here's all you need to know about what exactly is Lyme disease and what you need to watch for.

What is Lyme Disease?

The Health Service Executive states that Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans by infected ticks. Ticks are small, spider-like creatures that feed on the blood of mammals, including humans.

A person with Lyme disease can not transmit the disease to another by normal social contact.

What are the most common signs of Lyme disease?

The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a red rash that looks like a bull's eye on a dart board. However, if Lyme disease is not treated, other symptoms may occur, including:

• a high temperature (fever) of 38ºC (100.4ºF) or more
• muscle pain
• joint pain and swelling
• Neurological symptoms, such as temporary paralysis of facial muscles

How common is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is not a common infection. It is estimated that there are between 50 and 100 cases in Ireland each year.

Ticks that cause Lyme disease are usually found in woodlands and heathland. This is because these types of habitats have a high number of animals carrying ticks, such as deer, mice and sheep.

Due to their reproductive patterns, the tick population is highest in late spring and early summer.

Ticks can also be found in rural areas in many other countries, including:

• UK
• la France
• Germany
• United States
• L & # 39; Austria
• Sweden
• Russia

What are the stages of Lyme disease?

There are three stages of Lyme disease: early, middle and late.

Early Lyme disease

Symptoms of early Lyme disease develop between 3 and 30 days after being bitten by an infected tick.

The most common symptom of Lyme disease at an early stage is the appearance of a characteristic rash called erythema migrans.

Erythema migrans looks like a bull's eye and grows on the site of the tick bite. The skin affected by the rash will look red and will feel slightly raised on contact. The size of the rash can range from 2 to 30 cm (0.7 to 12 inches).

Other symptoms of early Lyme disease include:

• tired,
• muscle pain,
• articular pain,
• headache,
• fever and / or chills, and
• neck stiffness.

Intermediate stage of Lyme disease

The symptoms of Lyme disease at mid-stage usually develop several weeks or months after being bitten by an infected tick. However, they usually only affect some people who have not been treated with antibiotics at an early stage.

In 60% of untreated cases of Lyme disease, people will have symptoms that look like arthritis, such as:

• joint pain, and
• inflammation (swelling) of the joints.

In 10% of untreated cases, people will have neurological symptoms (symptoms that affect the nervous system). These symptoms include:

• numbness and pain in the limbs,
• temporary paralysis of your facial muscles – usually only half of the face is affected (this symptom is also known as Bell's palsy),
• Malfunction of the memory,
• difficulty concentrating, and
• personality changes.

Some people will also develop meningitis, which is a serious condition where the meninges (the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) become inflamed. The symptoms of meningitis include:

• Severe headache,
• stiff neck, and
• increased sensitivity to light (photophobia).

Late Lyme stage

In a small minority of untreated cases, symptoms of advanced Lyme disease may develop after months to years.

As with Lyme disease at mid-stage, the symptoms can affect both the joints and the nervous system. Symptoms may include:

• chronic joint pain (long-lasting) and swelling,
• Malfunction of the memory,
• concentration difficulties, and
• depression.

What exactly causes Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. Bacteria are present in the digestive systems of many different animals, including:

• mouse,
• voles,
• the blackbirds,
• pheasants, and
• deer

If a tick bites an animal that has the bacteria, it can also be infected. The tick can then transfer the bacteria to a human by biting it and feeding on its blood.

In general, the more the tick is attached to the skin, the greater the risk of transmitting the infection is great – it is rare that the infection is transmitted in the first hours after a bite, which means It is important to look for ticks and to remove them.

The problem is that ticks are very small and that they do not cause pain, so it can be hard to realize that you have a tick attached to your skin.

Once an infection has occurred, the bacteria will move slowly through your skin and into your blood and lymphatic system. The role of the lymphatic system is to fight the infection, and it consists of a series of vessels and glands (lymph nodes). If left untreated, bacteria can damage the joints and the nervous system, causing symptoms of Lyme disease at an intermediate or late stage.

Risk factors

Risk factors for Lyme disease include any activity, or occupation, that involves prolonged exposure to woodlands and heathlands such as:

• hiking,
• camping,
• Agriculture,
• forestry work,
• soldiers, and
• gamekeepers.