Lyme Disease

Days/Weeks after bite

Untreated, the infection may spread from the site of the bite to other parts of the body, producing specific symptoms that may come and go, including:

• Additional EM lesions in other areas of the body
• Facial or Bell's palsy (loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face)
• Severe headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis
• Pain and swelling in the large joints such as knees
• Shooting pains that may interfere with sleep
• Heart palpitations and dizziness due to changes in heartbeat (Lyme Carditis)

Many of these symptoms will resolve over a period of weeks to months, even without treatment. However, lack of treatment can result in additional complications.

Months/years after bite

Approximately 60% of patients who go untreated may begin to have bouts of arthritis, with severe joint pain and swelling. Large joints are most often affected, particularly the knees. Up to 5% of untreated patients may develop chronic neurological complaints months to years after infection. These include shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, and problems with short-term memory.

Lingering symptoms after treatment

Approximately 10-20% of patients with Lyme disease have symptoms that last months to years after treatment with antibiotics. These symptoms can include muscle and joint pains, cognitive defects, sleep disturbance, or fatigue. The cause of these symptoms is not known, but there is no evidence that these symptoms are due to ongoing infection from Lyme disease.This condition is referred to as Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). There is some evidence that PTLDS is caused by an autoimmune response, in which a person's immune system continues to respond, doing damage to the body's tissues, even after the infection has been cleared. Studies have shown that continuing antibiotic therapy is not helpful and can be harmful for persons with PTLDS.

Prevention

Precautions should be taken in high risk area such as damp, grassy, or wooded regions or when outside for an extended period of time while doing yard work, gardening, hiking, etc.

• Wear clothing that covers the skin and tuck loose pants into socks.
• Wear light colored clothing because ticks are easier to spot and brush off.
• Apply an insect repellent with 20-30% DEET to exposed skin other than the face and/or apply permethrin to clothes. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instruction.
• Walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass and brush.
• Use a high-heat dryer for one hour after washing clothes. This will kill most ticks that might have been attached to clothing.
• Keep grass mowed and trees trimmed.
• Remove brush or leaf piles accumulated around stone walls or wood piles.
• Create a woodchip or mulch barrier between woodlands and your yard. Place swing sets and other play equipment in mulched areas away from surrounding woodland edges.
• Most importantly, check yourself, your family, and your pets frequently for ticks.
  • Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and find ticks more easily that may be crawling on you.
  • Conduct a full-body tick check in front of a mirror to view all parts of your body when returning from potentially tick-infested areas.
  • Parents should take extra care and check their children for ticks.
• Create a Tick-Safe Zone Through Landscaping