Lyme Disease

While we tend to be concerned about tick bites, the risk of actually getting an infection is quite low, even if the tick has been attached, fed and is actually carrying an infectious agent. Ticks can transmit infection only after being attached and taking blood from their new host. Therefore, a tick that is still flat, tiny, has not attached itself and isn't engorged has not passed on any infection.

The size and color of the tick help determine what kind of tick that has bitten you. A tick that is black and about the size of a pencil eraser is more likely to be a dog tick. These ticks do not carry Lyme disease but in rare instances can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever. A brown to black tick with a white splotch on its back is likely to be the Lone Star tick, which has been reported to spread Lyme disease.

If it goes untreated, Lyme disease can lead to problems with your skin, joints, nervous system and heart. It can cause facial paralysis (Bell's palsy) or tingling and numbness in arms and legs. These can occur weeks, months or years after your tick bite. So, let's see if we can answer the following questions:

• What is Lyme Disease and what causes it?
• What symptoms do I look for?
• How is Lyme Disease diagnosed?
• How do I treat Lyme Disease?

What is Lyme Disease and what causes it?

Lyme disease is an infection carried by ticks and spread by being bitten by an infected tick. It is caused by bacteria and is not contagious. Two types of ticks carry the disease bacteria in the United States. Deer ticks spread the disease in the Northeast and Midwest. Western black-legged ticks spread the disease along the Pacific coast, mostly in Oregon and northern California.

What symptoms do I look for?

A sure sign of Lyme disease is a round, red rash that spreads at the site of the tick bite. The rash can get very large. Flu-like symptoms are fairly common. You may feel very tired and have headaches, sore muscles, joint aches and a fever. These symptoms can start any time, from 3 days up to a month after being bitten. Some people don't have any symptoms in the beginning stages and may not even remember being bitten.

How Is Lyme disease diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms. He will ask about activities and whether you have been in areas around infected ticks. Blood tests are not usually beneficial because it would take two to six weeks for the blood to test positive after a bite.

How do I treat Lyme disease?

The main treatment would be antibiotics. These antibiotic medicines usually cure the disease within three weeks of starting treatment. It is important to get treatment as soon as possible and late stage Lyme disease may require intravenous antibiotics.

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