Disease Awareness #10 - Lyme Disease

Lyme disease can be in humans and pets.  Our older husky, Zeus, has tested positive.  It was a faint positive, but still it was positive.  He had to have antibiotics for a month.  If you think you have Lyme Disease, please see your doctor.  May is the Awareness Month for Lyme Disease.

Lyme Disease "is the most common tick-borne illness in North America and Europe. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Deer ticks, which feed on the blood of animals and humans, can harbor the bacteria and spread it when feeding." 

{Information from HERE}

Early signs and symptoms:

These signs and symptoms may occur within a month after you've been infected:

• -Rash. A small, red bump may appear at the site of the tick bite. This small bump is normal after a tick bite and doesn't indicate Lyme disease. However, over the next few days, the redness may expand forming a rash in a bull's-eye pattern, with a red outer ring surrounding a clear area. The rash, called erythema migrans, is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease. Some people develop this rash at more than one place on their bodies.
• -Flu-like symptoms. Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.

Later signs and symptoms:

In some people, the rash may spread to other parts of the body and, several weeks to months after you've been infected, you may experience:

• -Joint pain. You may develop bouts of severe joint pain and swelling. Your knees are especially likely to be affected, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.
• -Neurological problems. Weeks, months or even years after you were infected, you may experience inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs, and impaired muscle movement.

Less common signs and symptoms: 

Several weeks after infection, some people develop:

-Heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat. Heart problems rarely last more than a few days or weeks.

-Eye inflammation.

-Liver inflammation (hepatitis).

-Severe fatigue.

{Information from HERE}

Ways to prevent Lyme disease: 

-avoid areas where deer ticks live, especially wooded, bushy areas with long grass. 

-Wear long pants and long sleeves. When walking in wooded or grassy areas, wear shoes, long pants tucked into your socks, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat and gloves. Try to stick to trails and avoid walking through low bushes and long grass. Keep your dog on a leash.

-Use insect repellents. Apply an insect repellent with a 20 percent or higher concentration of DEET to your skin. Parents should apply to their children, avoiding their hands, eyes and mouth. Keep in mind that chemical repellents can be toxic, so follow directions carefully. Apply products with permethrin to clothing or buy pretreated clothing.

-Do your best to tick-proof your yard. Clear brush and leaves where ticks live. -Keep woodpiles in sunny areas.

-Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks. Be especially vigilant after spending time in wooded or grassy areas. Deer ticks are often no bigger than the head of a pin, so you may not discover them unless you search carefully. It's helpful to shower as soon as you come indoors. Ticks often remain on your skin for hours before attaching themselves. Showering and using a washcloth may be enough to remove any unattached ticks.

-Don't assume you're immune. Even if you've had Lyme disease before, you can get it again.

-Remove a tick as soon as possible with tweezers. Gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth. Don't squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily. Once you've removed the entire tick, dispose of it and apply antiseptic to the bite area.

{Information from HERE}

Thanks for reading.
Melissa