What is Lyme Disease?
LYME DISEASE IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AND ONE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING TICK-BORNE DISEASES IN THE WORLD, AFFECTING EVERY COUNTRY EXCEPT ANTARCTICA & ALL 50 STATES IN THE US. TRAGICALLY, IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST UNDERFUNDED DISEASES IN THE WORLD.
Lyme disease is an illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, a complex microbe known as a spirochete. Lyme is contracted through the bite of an infected blacklegged (deer) tick, and is a multi-staged, multisystemic illness.
Presentations vary by stage: early localized (acute), early disseminated, and late disseminated (chronic, persistent) illness.
IF UNTREATED, IT CAN BECOME A SEVERELY DEBILITATING ILLNESS AFFECTING MULTIPLE ORGANS, INCLUDING JOINTS, HEART, BRAIN AND PARTS OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.
PREVENTION
Practicing good tick prevention habits is the best way to prevent Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. It’s important to Be Tick AWARE:
- AVOID areas where ticks live. Ticks thrive in wood piles, leaf litter, long grass, beach grass, bushy areas, stone walls, and perimeters where the lawn meets the woods.
- WEAR light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily; long-sleeved shirt tucked in at the waist, long pants tucked into high socks, closed-toe shoes, and a hat with your hair tucked in, if possible. Do not walk in the grass barefoot or in open sandals, even if it’s cut short.
- APPLY EPS-approved tick repellent (such as DEET or picaridin) and insecticide (such as permethrin) to skin, clothing, and shoes as directed.
- REMOVE clothing upon entering the home; toss into the dryer at high temperature for 10-15 minutes to kill live ticks. Putting them in the washer, however, will not.
- EXAMINE yourself and your pets for ticks daily. Feel for bumps paying close attention to the back of knees, groin, armpits, in and behind the ears, belly button, and scalp. Check everywhere – ticks love to hide! Shower or bathe as soon as possible to wash away unattached ticks. If you find a tick, remove it quick! The longer it is attached, the more likely it will transmit a disease.
SYMPTOMs OF LYME
LESS THAN 50% OF INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY LYME MAY SEE A BULL’S-EYE RASH AND EVEN FEWER RECALL A TICK BITE.
Lyme disease can mimic hundreds of other conditions since its symptoms mirror many medical problems. Here are a few symptoms you need to look for:
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
- FLU LIKE ILLNESS WITH FEVER AND CHILLS
- HEADACHES AND/OR NECK PAIN
- SEVERE FATIGUE UNRELIEVED BY SLEEP
- NAUSEA
- ABDOMINAL CRAMPING, GASTRITIS
- ARTHRITIS WITH SEVERE
- JOINT PAIN AND SWELLING
- LIGHTHEADED / DIZZINESS
- NOISE + LIGHT SENSITIVITY
- SWOLLEN GLANDS
- CHEST PAIN
- MUSCLE PAIN / TWITCHING
COGNITIVE/NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
- IRRITABILITY / DEPRESSION
- SHORT TERM MEMORY PROBLEMS
- BRAIN FOG
- ANXIETY
- EASILY DISTRACTED
- SLOWED COGNITIVE PROCESSING
- AGGRESSION / RAGE
- OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE BEHAVIORS
- POOR BALANCE
- CONFUSION / DISORIENTATION
