Lyme disease. What you need to know.

Hi guys, I haven't done a serious post in awhile and it's about that time of year again, so I figured today's post is going to be informative.

Lyme Disease was actually named after the town Lyme, CT. Not too far from where I live. When a bunch of kids were getting strange rashes and swollen joints.

Now, I can remember going to school with a girl that came down with Lyme, and half of her face was paralyzed. No one really knew what it was or where it came from, we just knew that it messed that poor girl up for awhile.

Fast forward to summer of  2005. My family and myself decided that we were going to go to Florida and take the kids to Disney. Wow, were they excited. I was too. On out way there via car, my youngest son at the time, just wasn't himself at all. I thought it was from the excitement and the long ride. Nope, the following day all he wanted to do was sleep. I thought this was really strange for a boy that was at Disney. I bathed him later that day, and there it was. The tall tale sign. A bulls eye rash also known as erythema migrans. This was scary for I knew what it was, thanks to nursing school. I ultimately ended up calling up my pediatrician whom in turn called in an antibiotic for him in Florida. Thanks Doc. After a couple of days the rash disappeared and he was back to his regular self. I thought all was good and that was the end. Oh, no. 

Ever since that incident, I won't allow my kids outside of the house without their "tick medicine" on ( like their dogs or something ) I try my very best to stay away from deet and deet products due to the possibility of carcinogenic side effects. So finding a product that meets my specific criteria has been a pain in the butt, but I did find one. Every night my kids get showered and I do a tick inspection. Very often I have found ticks on my kids and was very glad that I found them in the time frame that I did. 

Now, you're probably asking yourself, why do her kids have all of these ticks? Well, I live in the woods in CT, and my kids do play outside.

Fast forward to spring 2007.  The same son that came down with Lyme disease started to complain that his knees hurt and didn't want to play today. The following day it was the same ailments. Of course he was taken to the doctor again, and again was put on antibiotics for 6 weeks. He was taken for blood work and his titres came back positive for Lyme. Now, once you've had it, you always have it. You will always come back positive. The whole goal is to rid the disease's symptoms via antibiotics. This has been an on going battle with my son, as he has had reoccurrence's , faithfully at least once a year since the Disney incident.

Lyme is a multisystemic  disorder caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi which is carried by the deer tick. The deer tick is the itty bitty one. Really tiny. Very distinguishable from the big fat dog tick. The disease begins when the deer tick injects the spirochete ( nasty bacteria) saliva into the blood stream or deposits fecal matter on the skin. After incubating for about 3-4 days the spirochetes migrate out o the skin causing the wonderful bulls eye rash (erythema migrans). It is then that they travel to other skin sites and organs via the bloodstream and lymph system. NOT EVERYONE WILL GET THIS RASH. It's estimated that only 75-80% of patients get the bulls eye rash. Noone is really clear as to how long the spirochete's life cycle is, some estimate years. This disease does effect the joints, causing swelling and arthritis type symptoms. It has effected the heart if left untreated as well as neurological complications too, if left untreated. Now you see why it's considered a multisystemic disease.

Signs and Symptoms:

Fatigue,  a bulls eye rash, fever,chills, lethargy, anorexia, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, joint pain (knees and wrists most common)

Tests:

Assays for anti-B.burgdorferi  which will show  either past infection or current.

Western blot--which will show either past or present infection.

Enzyme linked immunosorbent technology or indirect immunofluorescence microscopy shows immunoglobulin (Ig) M levels that peak 3 to 6 weeks after infection. IGg antibodies detected several weeks after infection may continue to develop for several months and generally persist for years.

Treatment:

A lot of love and patience if it's a child. 

 Antibiotics often prescribed for 6 weeks, sometimes more or less depending on the DR. and the severity of the infection.

Anti-inflammatory meds such as Ibuprofen.