Lyme disease was discovered about four decades ago and has been studied extensively since. The disease is caused by a group of bacterial organisms known as spirochetes. There are many species that have been discovered to date. Persons suffering from the condition complain of a variety of symptoms such as painful joint swelling, skin lesions, chest pain and those related to central nervous system. In order to understand how to treat Lyme disease, one will need to have some basic knowledge on the illness itself.
The vector ticks that play a central in the transmission are parasites of deer in many geographical regions of the world. One a human is bitten by these ticks the bacteria are released into the blood stream where they begin to incubate. As a result, the disease typically has two phases; an early brief phase that is localised and a prolonged systemic late phase.
The initial presentation is in the form of flu like illness while the second is more severe and affects major body systems. Advanced forms may develop into meningitis, cerebral palsies and arthritis. Anxiety and depression have been reported in a number of affected persons. Diagnosis is made based on the clinical history as well as the presence of specific antibodies in the blood stream.
Antibodies to the bacteria are detected using a special technique known as ELISA. The use of the antibodies has the downside of giving a number of false positive results. This is because the antibodies remain to circulate in the body. This means that their presence in the body should be treated with caution. The other major challenge to diagnosis is the fact that the symptoms are at times nonspecific and the disease may be misdiagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis.
The treatment of this illness is mainly by use of antibiotics. There are many types of antibiotics that are used with the choice being determined by the severity and area of body involved. Oral drugs are good enough for the early disease. Intravenous drugs, on the other hand, are preferred when treating more advanced disease. Treatment that is started early gives better outcomes.
The main oral antibiotics that are used are doxycycline, cefuroxime and amoxicillin. In most cases the early symptoms will resolve within a few weeks without any long term consequences. Doxycycline is harmful to growing bone and should therefore be avoided in pregnant women and in children that are less than eight years. The drugs that have been approved for intravenous use are penicillin G and ceftriaxone. No home remedies exist.
Other drugs that are used are mainly for supportive treatment. For instance pain relieving drugs are often necessary for the pain associated with joint swelling. These drugs also help in reducing the associated inflammation. For the severely swollen joints, drainage of joint fluid is usually useful.
The highest incidence of this illness is found among children aged five to fourteen years and adults aged forty to fifty years. Living in areas infested with the ticks is perhaps the biggest risk factor to contracting the illness. This disease is not contagious and is not cross the placenta.
The vector ticks that play a central in the transmission are parasites of deer in many geographical regions of the world. One a human is bitten by these ticks the bacteria are released into the blood stream where they begin to incubate. As a result, the disease typically has two phases; an early brief phase that is localised and a prolonged systemic late phase.
The initial presentation is in the form of flu like illness while the second is more severe and affects major body systems. Advanced forms may develop into meningitis, cerebral palsies and arthritis. Anxiety and depression have been reported in a number of affected persons. Diagnosis is made based on the clinical history as well as the presence of specific antibodies in the blood stream.
Antibodies to the bacteria are detected using a special technique known as ELISA. The use of the antibodies has the downside of giving a number of false positive results. This is because the antibodies remain to circulate in the body. This means that their presence in the body should be treated with caution. The other major challenge to diagnosis is the fact that the symptoms are at times nonspecific and the disease may be misdiagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis.
The treatment of this illness is mainly by use of antibiotics. There are many types of antibiotics that are used with the choice being determined by the severity and area of body involved. Oral drugs are good enough for the early disease. Intravenous drugs, on the other hand, are preferred when treating more advanced disease. Treatment that is started early gives better outcomes.
The main oral antibiotics that are used are doxycycline, cefuroxime and amoxicillin. In most cases the early symptoms will resolve within a few weeks without any long term consequences. Doxycycline is harmful to growing bone and should therefore be avoided in pregnant women and in children that are less than eight years. The drugs that have been approved for intravenous use are penicillin G and ceftriaxone. No home remedies exist.
Other drugs that are used are mainly for supportive treatment. For instance pain relieving drugs are often necessary for the pain associated with joint swelling. These drugs also help in reducing the associated inflammation. For the severely swollen joints, drainage of joint fluid is usually useful.
The highest incidence of this illness is found among children aged five to fourteen years and adults aged forty to fifty years. Living in areas infested with the ticks is perhaps the biggest risk factor to contracting the illness. This disease is not contagious and is not cross the placenta.
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