Lyme Disease: Just The Facts
The United States and parts of Europe have seen rising numbers of Lyme disease infections since it was discovered thirty years ago.
There is one particular class of bacteria known as a spirochete that is responsible for the development of this disease.
Lyme disease may sound like an odd name, but it was actually named after the town in Connecticut where it was initially discovered.
At first Lyme was mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, but it was determined that there had to be something else when a group of children from different homes were all coming down with it at the same time.
It was officially coined, "Lyme Disease," in 1982 after the bacterial cause was determined.
It is the bite of an infected tick that causes you to develop Lyme.
It is this bite that allows the bacteria to enter your body.
Lyme disease is not a contagious disease the way that the flu is, as that bite is necessary for infection.
Each person is going to develop Lyme disease symptoms in a different way.
The round "bull's eye" rash is a symptom of Lyme that is very recognizable.
Not everyone with Lyme will develop this rash, but those who do usually start seeing it within a few days.
It will grow for a couple of weeks before it fades away by itself.
It is important to note that even though the rash will fade on its own, the disease will not; Lyme requires medical treatment in order to cure properly.
Other symptoms of Lyme disease that you may notice are malaise, joint pain, and more rashes.
Following the bite, it may be days or even weeks before you start showing any symptoms.
The symptoms of lupus and fibromyalgia are very similar to those of Lyme, so if you do not know that a tick bite has occurred, you may be misdiagnosed as having one of the other conditions.
A blood test is usually necessary in order to be sure that Lyme disease is present.
Lyme disease requires treatment because allowing it to worsen over time will cause some very serious problems.
Lyme disease can become quite debilitating in the later stages if it is not treated.
There is one particular class of bacteria known as a spirochete that is responsible for the development of this disease.
Lyme disease may sound like an odd name, but it was actually named after the town in Connecticut where it was initially discovered.
At first Lyme was mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, but it was determined that there had to be something else when a group of children from different homes were all coming down with it at the same time.
It was officially coined, "Lyme Disease," in 1982 after the bacterial cause was determined.
It is the bite of an infected tick that causes you to develop Lyme.
It is this bite that allows the bacteria to enter your body.
Lyme disease is not a contagious disease the way that the flu is, as that bite is necessary for infection.
Each person is going to develop Lyme disease symptoms in a different way.
The round "bull's eye" rash is a symptom of Lyme that is very recognizable.
Not everyone with Lyme will develop this rash, but those who do usually start seeing it within a few days.
It will grow for a couple of weeks before it fades away by itself.
It is important to note that even though the rash will fade on its own, the disease will not; Lyme requires medical treatment in order to cure properly.
Other symptoms of Lyme disease that you may notice are malaise, joint pain, and more rashes.
Following the bite, it may be days or even weeks before you start showing any symptoms.
The symptoms of lupus and fibromyalgia are very similar to those of Lyme, so if you do not know that a tick bite has occurred, you may be misdiagnosed as having one of the other conditions.
A blood test is usually necessary in order to be sure that Lyme disease is present.
Lyme disease requires treatment because allowing it to worsen over time will cause some very serious problems.
Lyme disease can become quite debilitating in the later stages if it is not treated.
