What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which is passed on to human beings through the bite of deer ticks ( Ixodes ticks ) . mordant - legged ticks are responsible for transmitting Lyme disease in the West Coast region .
Where is Lyme Disease Prevalent?
Except for Antarctica , Lyme disease is retrieve all across the United States with a gamey incidence in the Midwest , East and West Coast neighborhood . This prevalency has significantly increase over the time . Lyme disease is find all over the United States and other countries . It is unmanageable to diagnose Lyme disease and it can often get misdiagnosed for other conditions . This has led to the belief that the actual telephone number of cases with Lyme disease is high-pitched than what is report .
Who Gets Affected with Lyme Disease?
People of all ages can get dissemble with Lyme disease . However , Lyme disease ordinarily touch older adults , children and people who pass clock time in outdoor activities , such as park commando and firefighters .
Why is Lyme Disease Referred as the Great Imitator & Why is it Difficult to Diagnose?
Lyme disease is also referred to as “ The Great Imitator , ” as the symptom of Lyme disease are similar to many other disease which make it hard to diagnose .
Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia , inveterate fatigue syndrome , multiple sclerosis , and other psychiatrical illnesses . This result in delayed treatment which leads to worsening of the underlying infection .
What Part of Body is Affected By Lyme’s Disease?
Lyme ’s disease can affect any electronic organ of the consistence such as encephalon , nervous system , heart , joints and muscles .
What Causes Lyme Disease? How Do People Contract Lyme Disease?
The cause of Lyme disease is spirochete , which is a corkscrew - shaped bacterium that goes by the name of Borrelia burgdorferi . Lyme Disease is channelise through the bite of an unfledged type of tick which are very tiny , such that even their collation is painless and most of the individuals are not even cognizant that they are bitten .
After the tick gets tie to the skin and if it is not commove , then it can feed for many day . The longer it is attach to the hide the higher are the chances of Lyme disease getting transmitted along with other pathogens into the patient ’s bloodstream . If pregnant char get infect , then Lyme disease can be go by to their fetus and there are also chance of stillbirth hap .
How is the Risk of Lyme Disease Predicted?
Not all of the ticks are infect and there is considerable version in tick transmission rates depending on the form of home ground . The variation in the check infection is about 0 % to greater than 70 % in the same region . Due to this uncertainness regarding the number of ticks that are infected it makes it hard to bode the risk of Lyme disease in a region .
What are the Symptoms of Lyme Disease & What are the Stages of Lyme Disease?
other Lyme Disease & Its Symptoms : The symptom of early Lyme disease consist of flu - like illness which includes fever , sweats , chills , fatigue , brawniness ache , joint painful sensation and nausea . There may also be development of Bell ’s palsy or a rash . A roseola which is shaped like a bull’s - eye is thought to be a characteristic feature of Lyme disease , however , there are many patients who develop a unlike type of Lyme rash or the rash may not be present at all . Around 30 to 80 % affected role can develop a Lyme disease blizzard .
Late - Stage or Chronic Lyme Disease & Its Symptoms : If there is holdup in diagnosing and treating the Lyme disease , then it becomes late - stage or chronic Lyme disease . The chronic stagecoach of Lyme disease also develops as a termination of inadequate intervention . There are some symptom of previous stage or chronic Lyme disease which are similar to symptoms of early stage Lyme disease ; however , there are some significant difference .
What is the Importance of Rash as a Symptom in Lyme’s Disease?
Many affected role will evolve a rash which appear as an ordinary carmine region ; however , if the patient develops a “ bull’s - center ” mould efflorescence which has a benighted edge , then it is a definite house of Lyme disease and warrants prompt medical attention . unluckily the distinctive bull’s - center shaped roseola of Lyme ’s disease develops in less than 10 % of affected role with Lyme disease .
The rash is mostly diffuse and appear a few days , or in some case , many weeks after the tick snack . The efflorescence then expands over a period of daytime or weeks and grow into several inches in width . There may be central clearing in it . If the patient role is not treat , then the efflorescence can be present for many weeks before pass off or it may sink and then recur . There may be irregularity to the shape of the rash or it can have a scabby or blistering appearance . Some blizzard of Lyme disease resemble a contusion . Some of the Lyme rashes expect like ringworm , wanderer bit or cellulitis . There may also be development of multiple “ artificial satellite ” rash on unlike area of the body .
Why is Lyme Disease Often Misdiagnosed?
Lyme disease can broadcast to any region of the body and it can bear upon any organization of the body . Lyme disease often affects more than one system of the body . Many symptoms of Lyme disease consist of fatigue , joint hurting , cognitive harm , mood swings , poor rest , neurological presentations and muscleman pain . These symptom can also be found in other conditions such as continuing fatigue , rheumatoid arthritis , fibromyalgia , depression , Parkinson ’s disease , multiple sclerosis , ALSandAlzheimer ’s disease . Due to this , the chances of Lyme disease getting misdiagnosed are high .
What Happens if Lyme’s Disease is not Treated?
If there is any delay in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme ’s Disease then the spirochaete broadcast and can go into hiding in various parts of the body . affected role can develop trouble within week , months and years which ask the brain and queasy organization , joints and brawniness , heart and blood circulation , reproductive system , digestive system and the skin . The symptom can settle even without any intervention and patient can go through different symptoms at different fourth dimension .
Severe symptoms can develop if Lyme ’s Disease is not treated or is inadequately deal and these symptoms are hard to resolve . This condition is also known as inveterate Lyme disease ( CLD ) or post - treatment Lyme disease ( PTLD ) .
Which Symptoms of Lyme’s Disease are Common With Other Diseases?
The symptom of Lyme ’s disease overlap with symptom in other diseases and some of the common symptom launch in Lyme ’s disease and other diseases include weariness , joint pain , quietus impairment , depression , muscularity aching , cognitive impairment , headachesandneuropathy . These symptoms may be severe and can severely affect the patient role ’s tone of life .
What is the Quality of Life of Patients with Lyme’s Disease?
Many patient who brook from chronic Lyme disease are greatly debilitated . The affected role ’s quality of living who is suffering from Lyme ’s disease worsens and is similar to patients who bear with congestive heart failure . The level of pain experienced in Lyme ’s disease is standardized to that of post - operative patients . The fatigue duty have in Lyme ’s disease is adequate to the tiredness experienced with multiple sclerosis .
As mentioned before , the patient ’s quality of life with Lyme ’s disease is very bad when compare to other chronic illnesses , such as diabetes , kernel failure , arthritis and multiple induration . More than one-half of the affected role with inveterate Lyme disease are enounce to have about fair or miserable wellness . patient suffer from Lyme disease tend to have high disability and unemployment rates .
How is Lyme’s Disease Diagnosed?
The symptomatic testing is not reliable in the initial stages of Lyme ’s Disease and usually gives off-key negatives . If there is a positive result , then discourse should be set about straightaway .
A blood sample is take from the patient role who is suspected to tolerate from Lyme ’s disease . Patient ’s aesculapian story , symptoms and account of exposure to ticks is noted . As the common diagnostic tryout for Lyme ’s disease are insensitive , a minus result does not necessarily think that the patient does not have Lyme ’s disease . There are various reasons why a somebody will have minus test outcome despite suffer from Lyme ’s disease . There may have been delay in development of antibody ; suppression of resistant organization can be present ; or the strain with which the somebody is infected may not be measured with the trial done .
Lyme disease curb the immune system and around 20 to 30 % of patients will have false minus antibody tests . About half of the patients suffering from chronic Lyme ’s disease will have a negative ELISA test but a positive Western blot mental test .
What are the Characteristics of an Ideal Diagnostic Test?
A honorable test not only aid with diagnosing of the disease , but also helps in managing the condition . A dependable psychometric test helps the physician in assess the austereness of disease , to estimate the prognosis of the patient , monitor the course of progression of disease , its constancy , detecting the relapse rate and selecting the medicines and conform the discussion . However , such type of trial run does not survive for Lyme ’s disease .
What is Two-Tier Testing for Diagnosis of Lyme’s Disease?
collateral type of testing is the commonest test done for diagnosing of Lyme ’s disease . These test measure the antibody response of the affected role to the infection . The two wide used antibody run for Lyme ’s disease are the westerly blot and the Enzyme - link up Immunosorbent Assay ( ELISA ) tryout . It is recommended that the ELISA examination is done first to screen out for the Lyme ’s disease which is followed by westerly blot to confirm Lyme ’s disease .
These trial run , however , are unreliable if done during the initial four - to - six weeks of Lyme transmission , as the antibody response is not completely develop in patient . Even in the late stages of Lyme infection , two - tiered testing is still insensitive and miss about one-half of the patients who have Lyme disease .
How Accurate is Two-Tier Testing for Lyme’s Disease? Two-Tier Testing Explained in Detail:
There are 2 tests used in Two - tiered testing . The first one is a screening examination which find a patient role get Lyme ’s disease . The tests which are able-bodied to do this well are referred to as receive high sensibility . This test is then followed by a second test which confirms that the patient has Lyme ’s disease . Tests which are able to achieve this have high specificity .
The second test is extremely specific in Lyme disease with only a few false positives . However , the screening test is extremely insensitive and fails to accurately diagnose Lyme ’s disease . The two - tiered mental test arrangement miss about half of the patient role with Lyme ’s disease . Because of this , expert advocate to go straight to the Western blot and cut the ELISA mental test .
What are the Other Tests Done for Diagnosis of Lyme’s Disease?
There are 3 more trial which can be done for diagnosing of Lyme disease and these are 1 ) Polymerase Chain Reaction ( PCR ) ; 2 ) finish testing and 3 ) antigen detection . These tests are relate to as “ unmediated ” trial run as they observe the bacteria in the soundbox and not just the immune reply to the bacterium .
Polymerase Chain Reaction Test multiplies a vital part of the DNA of Lyme bacterium for its easy detection . However , though PCR is accurate , it also gives many false negative due to scarcity of the Lyme bacteria and they may not be present in the sampling which is test .
Antigen Detection test detect a unique Lyme protein present in the body fluid , such as blood , joint fluid , urine etc .
Culture Testing is the “ gilded standard ” test for identification of bacteria . In this mental testing , a sampling of origin or other fluids are look at from the patient and increase of Lyme spirochetes is attempted in a particular mass medium .
What is the Treatment for Lyme’s Disease?
There are 2 Standards of direction for Lyme ’s disease . The handling for Lyme disease is controversial . There are two wide divergent perspective on the good glide slope for diagnosing and treating Lyme ’s disease . All this makes it hard for the patient role to get proper diagnosis and get early treatment .
Approach 1 : A light grade of antibiotic is cerebrate to suffice in plow Lyme disease according to Infectious Diseases Society of America ( IDSA ) . This radical also traverse that there is any such thing as chronic Lyme disease .
coming 2 : On the contrary , Lyme disease is consider to be difficult to name and unmanageable to treat by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society ( ILADS ) , which results in persistent contagion in many patient . Individualized handling is recommended look on the severity of symptoms , the presence of other tick - bear carbon monoxide - infections and the reaction of the affected role to intervention .
So, How to Decide the Right Treatment for Lyme’s Disease?
It is recommended that both the patient role and the doctor make the decision regarding the treatment of Lyme disease . The patient should be given sufficient selective information regarding the risks and benefits of different treatment options . Then , the doctor and patient should collaborate to arrive at an informed decision that is based on the patient ’s preference , beliefs and circumstances .
Treatment for other Lyme Disease : It is recommended that more aggressive and tenacious antibiotic course is given to affected role in former stages of Lyme Disease . The “ in high spirits risk ” ticking bites are treated where the ticking was attached for a tenacious time and was not properly remove . The Lyme rash is also plow for a longer period of time so that there is no further progression of disease .
intervention for Chronic or Late Stage Lyme Disease : It is important that treatment is start ahead of time , as earlier the intervention for Lyme Disease , the more successful the final result is . However , there is a pregnant portion of patients who are treated with short - term antibiotics and who continue to experience significant symptom . Patient ’s quality of life is also disrupted . The exact cause of these ongoing symptom is not clear . As of now , there is no test which square up if the affected role have from active contagion or if the infection has been eradicated with the discourse .
Important Points to be Noted for Treating Lyme Disease
It is also call back by the IDSA that the symptom of Lyme disease occurring after treatment can maybe indicate autoimmune , “ post - Lyme syndrome ” which does not reply to antibiotics . IDSA uses discourse coming for acute infections and their intervention guidelines are not late ones . Whereas , the physicians from ILADS believe that the persistent symptoms may meditate an active contagion and treatment should be continued until there is resolution of the symptoms . The treatment approaches used by the Dr. are that for lasting infection , such as T.B. , where a combination of drugs is used for longer duration of time . The ILADS guidelines have been recently been updated .
What is the Treatment Modality for Lyme’s Disease?
The itinerary of administration of antibiotics and the ideal antibiotic , and duration of treatment for unyielding Lyme disease is not clearly established . There is no single antibiotic or combining of antibiotic which is open of wholly eliminate the infection . There are report of lapse and treatment failures with all the current discussion regime ; however , all this is less rough-cut if the aggressive treatment is start early .
What are the Risks Associated with Lyme’s Disease Treatment?
There are risks associated with all medical treatments . The patient with the doctor should adjudicate on the appropriate treatment for Lyme ’s disease regarding all the risks and benefits of the discussion .
What are the Factors Which Should Be Considered with Treatment of Lyme’s Disease?
Factors to be considered with handling of Lyme ’s disease are the hypothesis of tick - borne co - infection , specially if the patient is having a relapse or if the patient fails to respond to discussion . Other factors which should be considered are resistant dysfunction because of Lyme ; silent , opportunist infections which can occur as a upshot of immune dysfunction ; hormonal imbalance do by Lyme along with other complicatedness .
What are Other Things Which Should Be Taken into Account with Treatment for Lyme Disease?
The antibiotic drug given for discourse of Lyme transmission wipe out the beneficial intestinal botany which in good turn leads to various extra health government issue . Therefore , it is important to take probiotics along with antibiotics so that a healthy balance of catgut bacterium is maintained . Other than this , antibiotics can also interact with other medicines , intellectual nourishment or addendum . All these things should be taken into report before lead up the handling for Lyme ’s disease .
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