Lyme Disease

Recently Answered

• QWhat is a lyme disease test?

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  A RealAge answered

  There are two main blood tests used to diagnose Lyme disease: a test called an EIA (enzyme immunoassay) or IFA (immunofluorescence assay), and another called a Western blot. The EIA may be called an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) or an ELFA (enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay) test. These tests look for certain antibodies in a person's blood. Antibodies are proteins that are made by the immune system to fight a specific disease. So finding them in a person's blood can help doctors determine if a person has been infected. Unfortunately, Lyme disease antibody tests aren't 100% reliable. People who were very recently infected and people who have already been treated can sometimes get false results. The ELISA blood test is usually done first. If it shows the person may have Lyme disease, the Western blot test is then used as a way to double-check the results. Sometimes, a spinal fluid test or a joint fluid test is used to confirm Lyme disease in people who have nervous system symptoms or joint pain.
• QWhere are ticks that transmit Lyme disease found?

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  A Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL answered

  Ticks that transmit Lyme disease are found in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and there's a few in Wisconsin. They are very rarely found in the northern part of California.

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• QShould I seek medical care for Lyme disease?

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  A Dr. Kathleen Handal, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  Lyme disease is spread by ticks, which are extremely tiny. Most victims aren't aware they have been bitten. If you think you have been infected only a blood test can determine if you have Lyme disease. If the results are positive, treatment with antibiotics is required. When Lyme disease is left untreated, the victim runs the risk of being stricken with crippling arthritis, neurological and heart irregularities.
  
  Get medical help for:

  • tick bite
  • rash typically a bulls-eye pattern
  • fever
  • stiff joints
  • chronic fatigue
  • flu-like symptoms

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• QWhat transmits Lyme disease?

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  A Dr. Leopold D. Galland, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Summer is peak season for transmission of Lyme disease. The only known transporter of Lyme disease bacteria, the deer tick, goes through the most infectious stage of its life cycle in the summer. But you don't need to be in contact with a deer to get a deer tick bite and Lyme disease. Deer ticks can hitch a ride on small animals and land right in your backyard.

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• QWhat is Lyme disease?

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  A Dr. Leopold D. Galland, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Here are some essential facts about Lyme disease:
  

  • It is an infection with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by the bite of a deer tick.

  • The tick is so small, sometimes as small as a poppy seed, that you may not be aware of a tick bite.

  • Symptoms of Lyme disease may occur within days or may not occur for many weeks after infection.

  • Lyme disease may involve any part of your body: skin, joints, muscles, the nervous system, the heart, the intestinal tract.

  • Laboratory tests for Lyme disease are imperfect and can be misleading.

  • Prompt treatment of early infection improves the likelihood of cure, but persistent chronic infection may occur and can take many forms.

  • The possibility of Lyme disease should be carefully considered in anyone with unexplained fatigue, fever or muscle pain, in people with an acute unexplained change in emotional or cognitive function, and in everyone given a diagnosis of autoimmune or degenerative neurological disease.

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• QHow can Lyme disease be prevented?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  You can take steps to prevent becoming infected with Lyme disease. If you are going into the woods or places with high grass, make sure that your skin is fully covered with clothing and footwear. This makes it more difficult for ticks to attach to and bite your skin. Also, consider using bug repellent for additional protection. If you've been in areas where ticks are, be sure to check your skin carefully for ticks and remove any you find.
• QHow is Lyme disease diagnosed?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Your doctor may diagnose Lyme disease immediately based on your symptoms, particularly if you display the target-shaped red rash. However, additional tests may be done to determine your diagnosis. These include blood tests that look for the bacteria from ticks or antibodies fighting against those bacteria.

• QWhat are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Individuals with Lyme disease may experience a variety of symptoms. A rash is the most common symptom, and often individuals will develop a target shaped red rash in the area of the bite. Other symptoms can include running a fever, being tired and achy, having headaches, and feeling cold. Being tired and feeling sick can last for several weeks even after treatment has begun. Individuals may also have pain in their joints a while after the original bite occurred. More severe symptoms such as vomiting, weakness, and cardiac issues can occur but are rare.

• QHow is Lyme disease treated?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  The primary treatment for Lyme disease is a course of antibiotics taken over a period of two to four weeks. A variety of different antibiotics can be used to treat Lyme disease. Treatment is typically done through oral medication. Occasionally, antibiotics may need to be given via IV, particularly in more severe cases. Anti-inflammatory medications may be used to treat achy and swollen joints.
• QWhat is the prognosis for lyme disease?

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  A Riverside Center for Neurosciences answered

  Most individuals with Lyme disease respond well to antibiotics and have full recovery. In a few patients, symptoms of persisting infection may continue or recur, requiring additional antibiotic treatment. Varying degrees of permanent joint or nervous system damage may develop in patients with late chronic Lyme disease. In rare cases, some individuals may die from Lyme disease and its complications.

  This answer is based on source information from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.