From Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, Maryland Health Tips of the Week
Approximately 20,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported in America annually.
In the 10 states where Lyme disease is most common such as in Maryland, the average is
30.2 cases per 100,000 persons. Other states where the disease occurs frequently include Pennsylvania,
New York, Connecticut,
New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Infection has been
found on all continents and due to under-reporting, the disease case count is likely to be 13-15 times higher.
Definition
Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium,
Borrelia burgdorferi that is carried by deer ticks. This bacterium has been in the U.S. for more
than 100 years. These very small ticks have
been described as being about the size of the period at the end of a sentence.
The bacterium normally lives in mice, squirrels, and other
small animals. It is transmitted to humans through the bites of the deer
tick. Ticks go through four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Each of the
last three stages requires a blood meal. Ticks that transmit Lyme disease
can retain the infection throughout their life. Fewer than five percent of adult ticks south
of Maryland are
infected, while up to 50 percent are infected in hyper-endemic areas of the
northeast.
Ticks will attach anywhere on the body, but prefer body
creases such as the armpit, groin, back of the knee, and nape of the neck.
The highest numbers of reported cases are during the months of
June, July, and August.
Symptoms
The first sign of infection is usually a circular rash called
erythema migrans. This rash occurs in up to 80-90 percent of infected persons
and begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days. It
gradually expands. The center of the rash has a bull's eye appearance.
General symptoms include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle/joint
aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
Most cases can be cured with antibiotics, especially if treatment
is begun early.
5 to 25 percent of those treated will develop the chronic
form of Lyme disease with on-going symptoms. Many with persistent Lyme
disease are mislabeled as having fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Untreated, the infection may spread resulting in Bell's
palsy, severe headaches, neck stiffness, heart palpitations, shooting pains,
and dizziness. After several months, approximately 60 percent of patients with
the untreated infection will begin to have intermittent bouts of arthritis.
Up to five percent of untreated victims may develop chronic neurological
complaints months to years after infection.
Vision changes, difficulty breathing, kidney problems, gastrointestinal
distress, sleep disorders, seizures, behavioral changes, cranial nerve
involvement, and psychiatric manifestations are some of the other symptoms that
have been reported.
Prevention
Clear brush and leaves where ticks live. Stack
woodpiles in dry, sunny areas off the ground.
Treat the environment and your pet(s) with products designed
specifically for ticks.
Stick to trails and avoid walking through tall grass or
heavily wooded areas.
Wear long pants tucked into your socks, long sleeves,
enclosed shoes, and gloves.
Tie back long hair.
Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
Apply an insect repellent with a 10 to 30 percent
concentration of DEET. This protects adults for about two hours.
Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks daily.
The longer the tick remains attached to your skin, the greater your risk of
getting the disease.
Shower as soon as you come indoors.
Put clothes in the dryer for 20 minutes to kill any unseen
ticks.
Tick Removal
Use pointed tweezers and grasp the head or mouthparts where
they enter the skin.
Pull firmly and steadily.
Do not twist the tick out or apply alcohol, a hot match, or
any other irritant.
Do not crush the tick as it may release infected fluids.
Disinfect the bite site and tweezers after removal.
The Health Tip of the Week is for educational purposes only.
For additional information, consult your physician.
Please feel free to copy and distribute this health resource. ShadyGroveAdventistHospital
is located at 9901 Medical Center
Drive in Rockville.
For more information or to receive our newsletter with details about
medical services, health classes, and upcoming events, go to www.ShadyGroveAdventistHospital.com.
To find a local physician, call 1-800-642-0101 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.