Lyme disease is often caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans only via a tick bite.
It may evolve through different stages, which may overlap and may affect joints, skin, and the nervous system.
Stages of Lyme disease
Here are the stages of Lyme disease:
- Early disseminated Lyme disease
- Early localised Lyme disease
- Late persistent, late disseminated or just late Lyme disease
Prevalence of Lyme disease
In the US, nearly 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Recently, the American singer, Justin Timberlake, revealed his diagnosis of Lyme disease, which has posed a significant effect on him mentally and physically.
Lyme disease symptoms
Lyme disease symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, headache, fatigue, body and joint aches, cardiac complications, paralysis of facial muscles, reddish skin rash, and more.
It’s worth mentioning that Lyme disease symptoms may vary for each stage.
Diagnosis and treatment
Lyme disease can be diagnosed based on the symptoms; many individuals usually forget whether they’ve been bitten by a tick, because it is so tiny and painless.
Its diagnosis will be confirmed via two positive blood tests for the disease.
Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and doxycycline. However, the duration of treatment depends on the stage of infection.
