CD-ROM Today (UK) (Spanish) 15/CDRT.iso/dp/0005/0005200.tid

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$Title{Lyme Disease}

A Medical Times Patient Education Chart
(C) Romaine Pierson Publishers, Inc.

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Lyme Disease

Starts with a Tick Bite

     Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks that feed on deer and small rodents,
such as field mice.  The ticks can also attach themselves to humans and pierce
the skin for a blood meal.  As the ticks feed, they infect humans with
spirochetes (spiral bacteria) that spread outwardly, causing the red,
circular, and expanding rash characteristic of many but not all cases of
early Lyme disease.

Widespread in the U.S.

     Lyme disease is so named because the term was first used to refer to an
arthritic condition affecting children in Old Lyme, Connecticut.  It was later
learned that the arthritis was a complication of a tick bite and that the
disease was not limited to that region.  Lyme disease has now been diagnosed
in the Northeast (Massachusetts to New Jersey) and upper Midwest (Wisconsin
and Minnesota), where it is primarily caused by the tick known as Ixodes
dammini, and on the Pacific Coast (California and Oregon), where it is
transmitted by Ixodes pacificus.  (See illustrations on front of chart.)  Lyme
disease usually occurs between April and October, with most cases originating
in June and July.  Although 1,500 cases are reported in this country each
year, the true Lyme disease rate is probably four to five times higher.

Red Rash and Other Signs

     The ticks are very small, only about the size of a poppy seed, and the
bites often go unnoticed.  Even when fully engorged with human blood, ticks
are difficult to see.  If you do notice a tick on your body, remove it by
grasping it firmly with tweezers.  Kill it by dousing in alcohol or bleach,
and save the specimen to show to your doctor.  If you cannot remove the tick
or only get part of it out, see your doctor.
     The characteristic rash usually appears within 3 to 32 days of the tick
bite, although 20% to 40% of infected individuals may never develop the rash.
If you do develop the initial rash, you may later have smaller rashes
elsewhere.  As the spirochetes spread throughout the body, they may cause
fever, flu-like symptoms, headaches, swollen lymph glands, and fatigue.
     If the heart becomes affected, you may experience dizziness, weakness,
and irregular heart beats.  If the spirochetes invade the nervous system, you
may have trouble with concentration and muscle coordination.  You may also
develop Bell's Palsy (facial paralysis) on one or both sides of the face or
similar conditions involving the nerves.  Joints may become swollen and
painful; the knee being the most frequently affected.  If the disease is left
untreated, chronic arthritis may develop.
     Pregnant women should be particularly watchful for tick bites and
evidence of Lyme disease, since the disease could be transmitted to the fetus.
In the vast majority of cases, however, pregnancies among women with Lyme
disease have normal outcomes.

Controlling Lyme Disease

     Oral antibiotics are usually effective in treating Lyme disease and
preventing the long-term complications.  The specific drug and how it is to be
administered will vary according to individual and the extent of the disease.
For example, although oral tetracycline is recommended for most adults,
penicillin is usually advised for pregnant women and young children.  You will
need to make follow-up appointments with your doctor so your recovery can be
checked.
     Most importantly, try to prevent Lyme disease by avoiding exposure to
ticks.  In wooded areas, and especially during the summer months, use tick
repellant containing the chemical DEET.  Wear a hat, long sleeves and pants,
and tuck pant legs into socks or secure them around your ankles with a rubber
band.  Wearing light colors will make it easier to see ticks on your clothing.