What You Should Know About Lyme Disease as the Season Approaches

Lyme disease is a complicated infection, challenging to diagnose and even harder to treat if doctors miss an early diagnosis, which is all too often the case. Lyme disease treatment is tricky because most doctors' offices use the most popular blood tests to detect the disease and miss about 55% of Lyme cases. If and when a patient finally is diagnosed, it's sometimes by a clinical evaluation of the symptoms, ones that often mimic other ailments like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and even Alzheimer's disease.

Complicating matters even further; symptoms can change and move, making it even harder for doctors to diagnose and treat effectively. Headaches, migrating pain, bowel problems, uncharacteristic mood swings, panic attacks, and sleep disorders are just a few of the symptoms commonly reported in Lyme patients.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is commonly transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected black-legged or deer tick. Symptoms of Lyme disease can include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and a characteristic "bull's-eye" rash at the site of the tick bite. If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to more severe complications affecting the joints, heart, and nervous system. Conventional medical treatment typically involves antibiotics; early detection and treatment are essential in preventing long-term complications.

How Do Deer Ticks Find Human Hosts?

Deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), locate human hosts by using a process known as "questing." This behavior involves ticks climbing to the tips of vegetation, such as tall grass or shrubs, and extending their front legs to grasp onto passing animals or humans. When a person brushes against the vegetation where a tick is questing, the tick can quickly transfer onto their clothing or skin.

Ticks are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels, which help them detect nearby hosts. They are also attracted to hosts by sensing movement, heat, body odors, and chemical substances emitted by animals and humans. Once a tick latches onto a host, it may crawl to areas of the body with thinner skin, such as the scalp, behind the ears, under the arms, and around the groin, to feed on blood.

It is worth noting that ticks do not jump or fly like some other insects but rely on their questing behavior to seek out hosts. Being cautious in tick-infested areas, wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, and conducting regular tick checks after outdoor activities can help reduce the chances of encountering and being bitten by deer ticks. Early detection and proper tick removal are essential in preventing the transmission of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

How Does An Infected Tick Pass Lyme Disease?

When an infected tick bites a human, it may transmit the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that causes Lyme disease. The transmission of the bacteria occurs in stages:

1. Attachment: When a tick attaches to a human host, it starts to feed on the host's blood. During this feeding process, the tick regurgitates some of its own saliva into the wound. If the tick is infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria can be present in its saliva.

2. Entry into the bloodstream: The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria present in the tick's saliva can enter the bloodstream of the human host through the tick bite wound.

3. Migration: Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria can travel to various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system. The bacteria can also evade the body's immune response, making it difficult for the immune system to eliminate the infection.

4. Establishment of infection: The bacteria multiply and establish an infection in the body, leading to the characteristic symptoms of Lyme disease. The bacteria can cause inflammation and damage to tissues and organs as the infection progresses.

It is important to note that not all ticks carry the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, and not all tick bites result in the transmission of Lyme disease. Removing ticks promptly and correctly can help reduce the risk of Lyme disease transmission.

How To Properly Remove A Feeding Tick

To properly remove a feeding tick, follow these steps:

• Use fine-tipped tweezers: Grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. Avoid squeezing the tick's body, as this can push more bacteria into the wound.

• Pull straight upward: With a steady hand, pull the tick upward with firm, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain embedded in the skin.

• Clean the bite area: After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.