Lyme Disease: Where it Comes From, and How to Treat It

Lyme Disease is a borrelian bacterial infection triggerd by a deer tick, mosquito or other flying insect. The first case occurred in Old Lyme, Connecticut during the mid-80's, but cases of the disease have been reported from across the country.

Ticks are the most common carriers of the disease, however. They are also known to carry Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Bartonellosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia.

A tick takes approximately 24 hours to attach itself to the human body, and it takes another 12 to 24 hours for infection to occur. Once the bacteria enters the system, it will travel throughout the bloodstream and secure itself to body tissue.

If an individual notices that a tick has embedded itself into the skin, he or she will need to remove it immediately. This should only be done with the aid of tweezers. Fingernails should not be used to remove the tick. It is additionally important to make sure that the entire tick has been removed. The area of contact should then be thoroughly cleansed with soap and water.

In most cases, a reddish bull's eye rash will appear on the skin at the site of the tick bite . This type of rash is a definite indicator that Lyme Disease is present. The infected person may otherwise notice the sudden appearance of a reddish rash that resembles nothing in particular, general and/or persistent body aches, headaches, swelling of the lymph glands near the site of the tick bite, or a strong itchy sensation may occur throughout the body.

Another sign to watch for is the development of servere flu-like symptoms. If an individual suddenly becomes ill with a cold or flu that he or she can not seem to completely recover from, then Lyme may be present in the system.