What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease, also medically known as borreliosis, is an infectious disease which is fast on the rise. Caused by bacteria, this disease is so named in memory of the village where the first cases of the disease were identified. This is essentially a tick borne disease the causes of which remained unidentified till the late twentieth century.
A relatively newer disease, the incidence of borreliosis is particularly greater in the regions lying in the northern hemisphere. Though the symptoms of Lyme disease are quite marked, the symptoms of chronic lyme disease are medically unexplained to a large extent. Some of these symptoms are debilitating and therefore very difficult to treat. Lyme disease can also trigger auto immune responses and can lead to other autoimmune diseases.
The disease is known to affect various parts of the body like the skin, nervous system, joints, and the heart. The symptoms usually begin to manifest in three different stages.
The first observable symptom is the appearance of a circular rash which may develop as late as thirty days after the first tick bite. There is usually a central spot that is bright red in color and thereafter circular rings around it which give it a particular appearance. Though this rash is neither painful nor itchy, it is usually warm to touch. This rash is quite evident on light colored skin. However, on dark colored skin the rash often assumes the appearance of a bruise.
After the initial stage, the disease can spread to the nervous system. Facial paralysis or numbness in limbs are also common symptoms in the second stage. Other symptoms of the second stage are meningitis and arthritis. The joints swell up and there is stiffness in the neck accompanied with headaches.
In the last stage, the arthritis becomes more severe and there are frequent lapses in memory. Since the symptoms are so many, the diagnosis of this disease is often not possible until it has reached later stages where treatment becomes a challenge.
Causes of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is present in small hosts like mice and is carried to human beings through ticks. The bite of a carrier tick can infect a human by passing the bacterium into the human bloodstream. These ticks are very tiny and therefore are not visible.
Home Remedies for Lyme Disease
Usually, after diagnosis, a four week course of antibiotics can help cure Lyme disease. Time is of the essence in this condition and the cases which are diagnosed at the early stages are almost always treated completely. Though there are no home remedies for Lyme disease, it is possible to take some simple precautions in order to prevent this infection. Here are some simple things you can do:
• Wear closed shoes, pants and long sleeved shirts if you live in a tick infested area. This can help you reduce the chances of being bitten by a tick. If your body is exposed, the ticks may bite you and transmit the bacteria.
• If there are a lot of insects in your vicinity, use insect repellents.
• Since ticks cannot be seen very easily, light color clothing can help identify them if they are crawling on your body.
• Don’t walk bare feet on the ground outside. Also do not sit on the ground for long periods of time.
Diet for Lyme Disease
The Lyme disease diet is basically based on the elimination of toxins from the body. It is important that you drink a lot of water to flush out the toxins. Vegetable and fruits juices, fibrous food, and essential fatty acids should be included in good quantities. Replace common table salt with unrefined sea salt.
Other Suggestions for Lyme Disease
It is important to remove any ticks that are on your skin. Usually it is recommended that you remove any ticks with the help of tweezers and then preserve the tick so that the doctor can determine whether the tick is indeed a carrier of Borrelia burgdorferi. This can help in the quick diagnosis of the disease.
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