Know Everything About Lyme Disease- Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Insect bites and stings are really irritating and painful. While bites of some insects like mosquitoes or bees are not so harmful, some other insect bites may cause a persisting skin problem such as bruises or an allergy. However, there is a very tiny insect that can be visible only in the magnifying glass, but its small bite can cause a serious disease known as Lyme disease. 

Lyme disease is caused by the bite of an infected black-legged deer tick, and can severely affect the neurological and cardiovascular system of the body. It is due to these poisonous lyme disease ticks that people are afraid of all kinds of ticks. This article will elaborate on what is lyme disease and how to treat the lyme disease symptoms.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is a vector-borne bacterial infection that affects the skin tissues. This infection is caused due to the bite of any infected deer tick, also known as the ‘black-legged’ tick. However, the dog-ticks and wood-ticks do not cause this disease. The bite of deer tick releases a spirilla bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi, that causes the lyme disease infection.

What are the Early Lyme Disease Symptoms?

The most clearly visible symptoms of having lyme disease is the appearance of a reddish rash or a lesion (ulcerous patch) on the affected portion of the skin. This rash/lesion is referred to as erythema migraines (EM). Initially, you will notice a very small red spot at the skin area bitten by the tick. After 4 weeks or so, the small spot will swell to form a 12 inches large circular, triangular or an oval-shaped red rash. This rash rarely pains or feels itchy but feels warm to the touch.

In case there is no red rash anywhere in the body, the patient may get fever, chills, persisting headache, muscle fatigue and/or joint pains, along with swelling in lymph nodes. 

What are the Further Symptoms of Lyme Disease?

In the stage 2 of the lyme disease, the following symptoms can noticed in the patient:

• More Rashes in different areas of the body.
• Bell's Palsy: This is a condition in which the facial muscles get paralysed due to loss of muscle tone, leading to either or both cheeks hanging.
• Heart Block: A situation of abnormally slow heartbeat due to irregular electrical pulses of the heart.
• Lyme Carditis: A situation of irregular heartbeat causing heart palpitations or feeling of fast heartbeat.
• Neuropathy: This is a neurological disorder wherein the peripheral nerves (outside the brain & spinal cord) get damaged, leading to numbness in certain areas of the body, along with other disturbing feelings.
• Severe headache along with stiffness in the neck 
• Arthritis: Repeated swelling in various joints especially the knees causing severe joint pain. Recurring pain also occurs in the tendons, muscles and bones.
• Neuroinflammation: Condition of inflammation of the brain & spinal cord.

Other symptoms include—

• Dizziness 
• Shortness of breath
• Nervous pain
• Shooting pains, or tingling in the hands or feet

As it is perceivable from the above symptoms that lyme disease leads to multiple complications in the body. Hence, it should be treated immediately after detection of the early symptoms of the disease.

How to treat Lyme Disease?

Once the lyme disease is diagnosed, it can only be cured with a prescribed dose of antibiotics. There are usually two types of antibiotics prescribed to treat Lyme disease— 

• Doxycycline 
• Amoxicillin

How Long will the Lyme Disease Symptoms Last?

The length of the treatment of this disease depends upon what stage it is detected. However, as per the physicians, the sooner the treatment begins, the faster and more complete will be the recovery.

What if a Pregnant Woman has Symptoms of Lyme Disease?

If a pregnant woman has Lyme disease symptoms, she should immediately receive treatment. However, there’s no incident so far of a foetus getting infected from the mother leading to miscarriage. Still, the severe health conditions in Lyme disease can cause other complications during pregnancy. Hence, the treatment should be done immediately.

>> Also Read: How to Prevent Vector-Borne Diseases During Monsoon

Be Financially Prepared for Medical Emergency

From above, it is quite obvious that a small insect bite is strong enough to leave symptoms of a dreadful illness like lyme disease, which leads to multiple body malfunctions. A small illness can sometimes engulf a huge portion of the hard-earned savings of an individual. Hence, it is always a wise decision to be financially prepared by getting an adequate health cover. Besides, it is equally necessary to get health coverage from a reliable insurer such as Care Health Insurance. Without a second thought, you must get yourself and your family fully covered for all kinds of critical illnesses, so that you can live a life free from the fear of unforeseen medical expenses.

Disclaimer: Verifying the policy details and coverage with the official policy documents is essential. Also, kindly consult a professional medical expert to verify the details of health concerns.