Do you have ever hear the disease called Lyme disease? Lyme disease is the disease that commonly caused by the bacteria called Borrelia burgdoferi sensu lato or you can call these bacteria as B. burgdoferi. These bacteria could be transferred into the human body by a bite from the black-legged or deer tick. Commonly, the tick become infected by these bacteria when they are feeding on infected deer or mice.
So, basically the Lyme disease has 3 stages of symptoms, which are early localized, early disseminated, and late disseminated. Here are the symptoms of the Lyme disease.
Stage 1: Early Localized
Lyme Disease Symptoms in stage 1 is very important to know, and the first you will bulls-eye skin rash. Stage 1 of the symptom of the Lyme disease that commonly called as early localized is the symptom that occurs as the earliest sign that you’re having the Lyme disease. This is the symptom that classified as the early localized.
- Bulls-eye Skin Rash
The first symptom that also considered as the stage 1 Lyme disease is the bulls-eye skin rash. The bulls eye rash is the earliest sign that you’re having the Lyme disease and this could be the sign that the bacteria are multiplying in the bloodstream. It is called as the ‘bulls eye’ rash because the rash occurs at the site of the tick bite as the central red spot and surrounded by the clear spot with the redness in the edge of it. Although the rash is very visible, but it isn’t painful and doesn’t itch at all.
Although this rash is could be the earliest sign of the Lyme disease, but this rash will go away for about 4 weeks and not every people have this symptom as the earliest sign of Lyme disease. Some people have the solid red rash, while the other have a bruise like rash.
Stage 2: Early Disseminated Lyme Disease
Stage 2 of the symptoms of the Lyme disease that commonly called as the early disseminated lyme disease are the symptoms that occur several weeks after the tick bite, which means that the bacteria started to spread throughout the body. Here are the symptoms that classified as the early disseminated Lyme disease.
- Chills
The first symptom that classified as the early disseminated Lyme disease is the chills. So, chills is the condition whenever you feel the cold without any specific reason at all. This chills commonly could lead you to fever and also could make your body start to shake or shivering. Since the infections of bacteria could lead you to this symptom, so there is not a secret that the Lyme diseases could lead you to chills.
Whenever you’re having some chills, you could treat this at home because this symptom commonly doesn’t need any special treatment in the hospital. You could treat the chills by following these tips:
- Covers yourself with the light sheet and avoid heavy blanket since this would raise the temperature of the body.
- Sponging your body with the lukewarm water.
- Taking the aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen might also beneficial to cure yourself from chills.
- Fever
The second symptom that also considered as the early disseminated Lyme disease is the fever. Whenever you’re having the chills, there is no doubt that possibility of having the fever could occur too. So, fever is the condition whenever your body have the temperature higher than the usual human temperature. Since the fever could also cause by the infections of bacteria, there is no doubt that the fever could occur as the sign that you’re having the Lyme disease.
So, to cure this fever, you need to take care of yourself in the home since usually fever doesn’t need any medical treatment. You could relieve the elevated temperature by following these steps:
- Taking the regular bath
- Drink a lot of fluids
- Taking the acetaminophen or ibuprofen so that your temperature could be decreased.
- Swollen Lymph Nodes
The next symptom that also can be considered as the early disseminated Lyme disease is the swollen lymph nodes. So, lymph nodes is one of the parta of the lymphatic system that can filter the fluids in the body and return them to the circulation system for disposal, and also fighting against infections. But, sometimes, the lymph nodes could be swollen when they are fighting against the infections from bacteria, which is the sign of the Lyme disease.
While you can treat the swollen lymph from your own home, but you definitely need to seek the medical attention whenever you’re experiencing the following things:
- Lymph nodes feel hard.
- Swelling appears near on the bulls-eye rash
- The swollen lymph nodes accompanied with the rash and joint pain.
- Your swollen lymph nodes don’t improve more than two days.
To treat this swollen lymph nodes, you need to make sure that you keep the irritated skin dry and clean. Also, you need to stay hydrated during the day by drinking plenty of fluids.
- Sore Throat
The next symptom that could also be considered as the early disseminated Lyme disease is the sore throat. So, the sore throat is the condition whenever you have some itchiness, pain, or irritation in the throat, which then cause you to have the difficulty in swallowing foods and liquids, and this pain could get worse when you try to swallow. Since the sore throat could appear because of the bacterial infections, there is no doubt that whenever you’re having the Lyme disease, the sore throat could be the early sign of sore throat.
However, you could treat this sore throat in the home. The treatment of sore throat could be done by following these tips:
- Drinking plenty of warm fluids
- Avoiding allergens such as smoke and other chemical things.
- Taking the acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation
- Gargling with the warm water.
- Tension Headache
The next symptom that also could be considered as the early disseminated Lyme disease is the tension headache. So, the tension headache is the condition whenever you’re feeling the tight band around your forehead. This is the common type of headache that can also cause the pain in the neck, head, and behind your eyes. Since the viral and bacterial infections could lead you to the tension headache, there is no doubt that this condition could be the early sign that you’re having the Lyme disease.
Like any other early disseminate Lyme disease, you could treat this tension headache in your own home by following these steps:
- Taking the aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen ocassionally.
- Drinking plenty of fluids
- Having enough time to rest
You could also seek the medical treatment if you’re pretty concerned about the tension headache and you feeling extreme pain in the head, neck, or behind your eyes. The doctor would be likely to prescribe you with the painkiller supplement and antidepressant.
- Fatigue
The next symptom that could also be classified as the early disseminated Lyme disease is the sudden fatigue. We bet that you have already known about the fatigue, which is the condition whenever you feel the tiredness after doing some activities. While this is the common condition, but the fatigue without having too much physical activity could be the early sign of the serious medical conditions, including the infections of bacteria, which is the main cause of the Lyme disease.
So, although this is the common condition, but you need to seek the medical condition whenever you’re suffering from the following conditions:
- You’re experiencing the sudden fatigue without explanation, alongside with the high body temperature.
- You’re experiencing the sudden fatigue alongside with the sudden weight loss
- You’re experiencing the sleeping trouble regularly and can’t think why you could suffer from the fatigue.
Whenever you’resuffering from the fatigue, you need to keep calm and then you need to ensure that you stay hydrated during the day. Also, you need to adapt the healthy lifestyle and get adequate time of rest.
- Muscle Aches
The next symptom that could also be classified as the early disseminated Lyme disease is the muscle aches. So, the muscle aches are the condition whenever you’re feeling the pain and tension around the muscle. While most of the times the muscle aches could occur because of the feeling of stress, tension, and physical activity, but the infections from viral and bacteria could also lead you to muscle aches too, which without a doubt that this disease could be the early sign that you’re having the muscle aches.
So, whenever you’re having the muscle aches, you could treat this condition in your home by following these tips:
- Resting the area of your body where you’re experiencing aches and pain.
- Taking the medication such as aspirin and ibuprofen
- Applying ice into the area where you’re experiencing aches and pain.
- Gently stretching the muscle
- Avoiding weight-lifting session when you’re experiencing the muscle aches.
- Blurred Vision
The next symptom that also could be classified as the early disseminate Lyme disease is the blurred vision. So, blurred vision is the condition whenever you’re feeling that someone has put a filter over your eyes so that you can’t see clearly and focus anymore. The blurred vision could attack in one of your eyes, or in the both eyes. One of the main cause you could suffer from the blurred vision is because of the severe headache, which can be caused by the bacterial infections.
Whenever you’re having the blurred vision, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since this disease is could lead you to more dangerous disease. The treatment of the blurred vision could depend on the condition that causing you the blurred vision, so you need to follow the instructions of the doctor.
Stage 3: Late Disseminated Lyme Disease
Stage 3 of the symptoms of the Lyme disease that commonly called as the late disseminated Lyme disease are the symptoms whenever the stage 1 and stage 2 symptoms of Lyme disease is not treated well. The late disseminated Lyme disease could occurs weeks, months, or even years after the tick bite. Here are the symptoms of the Lyme disease that classified as the late disseminated Lyme disease.
- Arthritis
The first symptom that could be classified as the stage 3 Lyme disease or the late disseminated Lyme disease is the arthritis. Arthritis is the disease that commonly occurs whenever there are some inflammation in the joints. Basically, the arthritis could be occurred because of the reduction in the amount of cartilage tissue, which have some benefits for absorbing the pressure and shock created when you move. This is the sign that the lyme disease has already infected your joint.
So, whenever you’re having the arthritis or you’re feeling the pain in the joint, you need to treat it immediately and you also need to seek the medical treatment, such as:
- Taking analgesic and acetaminophen to relieve the pain of arthritis.
- Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen to control the inflammation of the joint.
- Surgery to replace the inflamed joint with the artificial joint, if necessary.
- Taking the physical activity to help strengthen the muscle around the affected joint.
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm
The next symptom that could be the sign of the late disseminated Lyme disease is the abnormal heart rhythm. So, the abnormal heart rhythm is the condition that occurs whenever you’re feeling that your heartbeat is too fast, too slow, or irregularly. In the case of the Lyme disease, whenever the bacteria already infected your body, this will cause the heart beat irregularly.
So, whenever you’re feeling that your heart beats irregularly, alongside with the other early disseminated sign of the Lyme disease that already stated above, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since this condition could cause the serious effects on your health. The doctor would give you the suggestion to change the habits of your life alongside the induction of these treatments:
- Implant a peacemaker
- Perform the surgery to correct the abnormality
- Try the other procedures to correct the heart rhythms.
- Encephalopathy
The next symptom that could be classified as the late disseminated Lyme disease is the encephalopathy, or commonly called as one of the brain disease because encephalopathy can affect the structure of the brain. There are a lot of types related to this encephalopathy, but in the case of the Lyme disease, the disease called as lyme encephalopathy. Whenever you’re having this disease, you will suffer from the following things:
- You will have some difficulty to think and concentrating, also suffers from the memory loss.
- You will have the changes in personality.
- Muscle weakness, poor decision making, which commonly caused by the neurological symptom.
- Trembling and seizures.
Whenever you’re experiencing those things that already mentioned above, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since this is one of the dangerous disease. The doctor may recommend the nutritional supplements to slow down the damage of your brain, as well as a special diet to treat certain conditions. The surgery will also take place if necessaruy for certain causes.
- Memory Loss
The next symptom that could be occurred whenever you’re having the late disseminated Lyme disease is the memory loss. So, memory loss is the condition whenever you can’t remember the things that happen to you regularly. Whenever you’re experiencing the memory loss alongside with the early disseminated Lyme disease that already mentioned above, you need to go to the doctor to seek the medical treatment immediately cause there are possibilities that there is the Lyme bacteria that make the infections in your brain and lead you to the memory loss.
Whenever you go to the doctor, they will be likely to induct the examinations to find out the main cause of the memory loss. This is very important because the memory loss only can be treated whenever the main cause of the memory loss identified earlier.
- Unable to Concentrate
The next symptom that could be classified as the late disseminated Lyme disease is the difficulty to concentrate. So, the sign that you’re unable to concentrate could be described as the following things:
- Being unable to remember things that occured in the short time ago.
- Difficulty in thinking clearly.
- Inability to make the decision.
- Making careless mistakes
- Inability to complete even the simple task
Whenever you’re experiencing the things that already explained above, you need to seek the medical attention as soon as possible since the inability to concentrate can affect your life in many levels. The doctor would make the suggestion to you what is the best way to cure you from this disease. But, you could reduce the symptom of the inability to concentrate by following these things.
- Getting adequate time of sleep.
- Reducing caffeine intake
- Eating the healthy diets
- Try to manage your stress level everyday.
- Brain Fog
The next symptom that also could be classified as the late disseminated Lyme disease is the brain fog. So, brain fog is the term that commonly indicate the overall feeling of the mental fogginess. The mental fogginess includes the forgetfulness, concentration problems, and also confusion. While the common cause of the brain fog commonly linked with the hepatitis type C, but this disease could also be the sign that the Lyme bacteria have already infected your brain and this is one of the serious medical conditions.
Since the brain fog is one of the dangerous diseases, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible. The medications to alleviate the brain fog usually include some therapies like meditation, deep breathing exercise, and also yoga. The healthy daily habits could also beneficial to reduce the symptom of the brain fog.
- Dementia
The next symptom that also could be the sign of the Lyme disease and classified as the late disseminated Lyme disease is the dementia. So, dementia is the group of symptoms that affect the mental tasks like memory and reasoning. The early sign that you’re having the dementia is really easy to look, which is you’re experiencing a lot of forgetfulness and confusion during your daily activities. The Lyme bacteria could infected the brain that can lead you to the dementia disease.
Whenever you’re suffering from the dementia, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since this is the condition that can affect your life in many levels. The treatment of dementia will be vary from the many cause of the conditions, since dementia could occur because of a lot of factors. The best thing to treat this condition is going to the doctor and let they suggest you the best medication for you.
- Numbness and Tinglings
The next symptom that also could be classified as the late disseminated Lyme disease is the numbness and tinglings. Numbness and tingling is the condition that occurs whenever you feel the prickling sensation. So, numbness in the area of your arms, legs, hand, or feet regularly without any reason at all could be the sign that you’re having the Lyme disease.
Whenever you’re experiencing the frequent numbness and tingling sensation in the specific area that already mentioned above and you couldn’t think the reason why you have this numbness, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since this is could be the sign of various medical conditions. The only thing that you can do is always doing what the doctor suggests to you.
Lyme Disease Symptoms In Some Image
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How to Treat the Lyme Disease
After you have already known everything about all of the three stages of Lyme disease symptoms, you might wonder how to treat this harmful disease. So, in the article below, we would like to inform you about how to treat this Lyme disease. Here are the common treatment so that the Lyme disease will go away from your body.
- You must notice that the Lyme disease is best to treat from the earliest sign, which is the bulls-eye skin rash. Whenever you’re having that rash, you need to go to the doctor so that they can diagnose this disease as soon as possible and you will not suffer from this disease.
- Taking the antibiotic medications such as doxycycline for the adults and children older than 8 years old and cefuroxime and also amoxicillin for everyone.
How to Prevent the Lyme Disease
So, after you have already know how to treat the Lyme disease, you also need to know about the way to protect yourself from the Lyme disease. Here are the tips and steps how to protect yourself from the Lyme disease.
- Whenever you’re going outside, you need to wear the long pants or use the clothes which have the long sleeves.
- Always use the insect repellent. The insect repellent would be very beneficial to make the tick that potentially could transfer the bacteria into your body would stay away from you all the time.
- Always remove the tick with the tweezers, don’t use your own hand whenever you find out that there are ticks in your skin. After remove it, you need to wash your skin as soon as possible to prevent the possible bad effects from them.
- Always be vigilant. You need to check the health of yourself, your children, and your pets so that there are no ticks that could infect you and your beloved ones.
So, now you already know everything that you need to know about the Lyme disease. Remember that you need to stay aware from the ticks that could potentially harm you in many ways. Always do the tips that already mentioned above and you and your beloved ones will be safe from the Lyme disease. Stay healthy.