What causes Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is mostly caused by the bite of an infected tick. Different ticks are carriers in the different regions. The 'deer tick' in the Northeast and midwest, The 'black-legged tick' in the South, The 'western black-legged tick' in the West, and The 'lone star tick' found in several regions are all considered as lyme disease spreaders. The growing concern is that the common 'dog tick' may also be capable of transmitting the disease. Transmission by biting insects may also be a possibility, but these cases are very rare.
Symptoms Of Lyme Disease: Lyme disease has many symptoms, but skin symptoms, arthritis and various neurological symptoms are usually present. Conventional therapy is with antibiotics. The first and most common sign is a "bull's-eye" rash, or a ring of inflamed skin surrounding the initial tick bite or a raised rash. Often the victim develops a fever, and fatigue. Headache, muscle and joint aches are other symptoms. Left untreated Lyme Disease can cause meningitis, tremor, pain and even hallucinations and memory loss. Symptoms usually appear in 1-2 weeks, but can be as long as one month. However, it is possible for an infected person to display no symptoms, or display only one or two symptoms, which can make a diagnosis very difficult. The late and worse symptoms of Lyme disease can appear months to years from getting infected.
Treatment For Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics taken for 3 to 4 weeks. More difficult cases may require longer treatment and combinations of drugs. Re-infection from tick bites is possible after treatment. Medicines used against Lyme disease include: oral doxycycline for adult, and children are usualy given amoxicillin or cephalosporin. When the antibiotics are given by injection, doctors will usualy give benzylpenicillin, cefotaxime or ceftriaxone.
Lyme Disease Prevention: There are quite a few things you can do to help prevent Lyme Disease. Avoiding tick infested areas is the best protection. Wooded, grassy areas are more likely to harbor ticks. Wear good protective clothing when entering tick areas. Wearing light colored clothes makes spotting the ticks easier. Walking in the center of trails when hiking to avoid overgrown grass and weeds the ticks may be hiding in. After your pets and children come inside from being outdoor, look them over for ticks.
There is a website that provides cures, facts and other great information on Lyme Disease and numerous medical conditions, the website is called: All About Health, and can be found at this url:
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
