Lyme disease was discovered about four decades ago and has been studied extensively since. The disease is caused by a group of bacterial organisms known as spirochetes. There are many species that have been discovered to date. Persons suffering from the condition complain of a variety of symptoms such as painful joint swelling, skin lesions, chest pain and those related to central nervous system. In order to understand how to treat Lyme disease, one will need to have some basic knowledge on the illness itself.
The vector ticks that play a central in the transmission are parasites of deer in many geographical regions of the world. One a human is bitten by these ticks the bacteria are released into the blood stream where they begin to incubate. As a result, the disease typically has two phases; an early brief phase that is localised and a prolonged systemic late phase.
During the first phase, there is flu like illness a few days after being bitten. The second phase follows an incubation period of about two weeks. More advanced conditions may manifest as meningitis, cerebral palsy or arthritis. In the long term, some persons have been found to be extraordinarily anxious and depressed. To diagnose the illness there is need to corroborate the history with the appearance of specific antibodies in the blood.
Antibodies to the bacteria are detected using a special technique known as ELISA. The use of the antibodies has the downside of giving a number of false positive results. This is because the antibodies remain to circulate in the body. This means that their presence in the body should be treated with caution. The other major challenge to diagnosis is the fact that the symptoms are at times nonspecific and the disease may be misdiagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis.
The mainstay of treatment is by antibiotics. Oral antibiotics are mainly used for early forms of the condition while the intravenous drugs are more effective for the second phase which is more severe. The specific choice of antibiotic that is chosen is mainly dependent on disease severity and the exact part of the body that is affected. Treatment should be started as soon as possible.
Doxycycline, amoxicillin and cefuroxime are some of the drugs that are used for early phase treatment. If treated promptly the early phase of the illness resolves in a week or two and usually there are no long term consequences. Doxycycline is, however, contraindicated in expectant women and children under the age of 8. The drugs that are commonly used once complications set in include ceftriaxone ad penicillin G. Unfortunately, no home remedies exist.
Other drugs that are used are mainly for supportive treatment. For instance pain relieving drugs are often necessary for the pain associated with joint swelling. These drugs also help in reducing the associated inflammation. For the severely swollen joints, drainage of joint fluid is usually useful.
The highest incidence of this illness is found among children aged five to fourteen years and adults aged forty to fifty years. Living in areas infested with the ticks is perhaps the biggest risk factor to contracting the illness. This disease is not contagious and is not cross the placenta.
The vector ticks that play a central in the transmission are parasites of deer in many geographical regions of the world. One a human is bitten by these ticks the bacteria are released into the blood stream where they begin to incubate. As a result, the disease typically has two phases; an early brief phase that is localised and a prolonged systemic late phase.
During the first phase, there is flu like illness a few days after being bitten. The second phase follows an incubation period of about two weeks. More advanced conditions may manifest as meningitis, cerebral palsy or arthritis. In the long term, some persons have been found to be extraordinarily anxious and depressed. To diagnose the illness there is need to corroborate the history with the appearance of specific antibodies in the blood.
Antibodies to the bacteria are detected using a special technique known as ELISA. The use of the antibodies has the downside of giving a number of false positive results. This is because the antibodies remain to circulate in the body. This means that their presence in the body should be treated with caution. The other major challenge to diagnosis is the fact that the symptoms are at times nonspecific and the disease may be misdiagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis.
The mainstay of treatment is by antibiotics. Oral antibiotics are mainly used for early forms of the condition while the intravenous drugs are more effective for the second phase which is more severe. The specific choice of antibiotic that is chosen is mainly dependent on disease severity and the exact part of the body that is affected. Treatment should be started as soon as possible.
Doxycycline, amoxicillin and cefuroxime are some of the drugs that are used for early phase treatment. If treated promptly the early phase of the illness resolves in a week or two and usually there are no long term consequences. Doxycycline is, however, contraindicated in expectant women and children under the age of 8. The drugs that are commonly used once complications set in include ceftriaxone ad penicillin G. Unfortunately, no home remedies exist.
Other drugs that are used are mainly for supportive treatment. For instance pain relieving drugs are often necessary for the pain associated with joint swelling. These drugs also help in reducing the associated inflammation. For the severely swollen joints, drainage of joint fluid is usually useful.
The highest incidence of this illness is found among children aged five to fourteen years and adults aged forty to fifty years. Living in areas infested with the ticks is perhaps the biggest risk factor to contracting the illness. This disease is not contagious and is not cross the placenta.
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