All About Lyme Disease

Lyme disease affects thousands of Americans each year, but, due to the wide variety of Lyme disease symptoms, it can be difficult to know if you have it.

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is spread to humans via ticks biting through the skin while carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. In order to infect a human, the infected tick must be in direct contact with the skin for at least 36 hours. This length of contact often occurs because Lyme disease is most typically spread by ticks that are young and therefore hard to see.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

The most common early symptom of infection is a gradually expanding bullseye-shaped rash. However, chills, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes are also common early symptoms.

Later symptoms include joint pain, heart palpitations, and dizziness.

How to Protect Yourself

Covering the skin is the best way to prevent tick bites. Therefore, covering your exposed skin while outdoors is recommended. Choose socks and long pants when outdoors, and conduct a check for ticks when returning home.

Lyme Disease Treatment Options

If you suspect you may have Lyme disease, it’s important to know that most cases are treatable. In fact, when diagnosed early and treated properly with antibiotics, rapid and complete recovery is possible. It’s important to consult your primary care provider if you suspect a Lyme disease infection.

Those experiencing longer-term symptoms such as joint pain and arthritis will require more specialized care. These chronic symptoms may require several months of treatment from a rheumatologist.

If you or someone you know is experiencing Lyme disease symptoms, you may be looking for more information. This infographic from Crystal Run Healthcare contains important facts about Lyme disease, ways to protect yourself, and the treatment options that are available to you.