Tips On How To Treat Lyme Disease

By Etta Bowen


Treating lyme disease requires antibiotic intervention as early as possible. It takes several weeks to a month to see the first symptoms. On the area where the tick bit, a small bump will appear and later the rash will spread to other parts of the body. It has a bulls eye characteristic with a clear area and a red circle surrounding the area bitten. The patient experiences body and head aches, fatigue, fever and chills, among other flu like symptoms.

There are other signs that will develop in the latter stages. This is indicative of a progressive attack by the bacteria. Experts know how to treat lyme disease before it gets worse and spreads the rash to other areas. Secondary symptoms will take several weeks or up to a month to appear.

When tests confirm that the bacteria are present, antibiotics are used in treatment. The best way is to seek treatment at the earliest opportunity. This will hasten recovery. At the earliest stages, antibiotics are administered orally.

Adults and children who are 8 years and above are given doxycycline or amoxicillin. Cefuroxime is used to treat younger children as well as pregnant and breast feeding mothers. The recommended duration is 14 to 21 days. Some studies suggest that a regime lasting 10 to 14 days would still be effective.

The use of intravenous antibiotic injection is only necessary when the nervous system is affected. The injection will be administered over a period of 14 to 28 days. An infection that has spread or affected the nervous system takes longer to eliminate. Expected side effects include reduced white blood cells count, colonization by organisms that are resistant to antibiotics and severe to mild diarrhea.

Symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue do not disappear after treatment in some cases. Antibiotics do not eliminate these symptoms either. Researchers attribute this phenomenon to the emergence of an autoimmune response. This scenario is being studied for further clarity.

Food and Drug Administration has warned against using Bismacine. This is an injectable compound commonly used by alternative practitioners. It contains high levels of bismuth, a harmful metal to the body. Its use in injections is said to be poisonous by exposing the patient to such conditions as heart ailments and kidney failure.

Measures that can be implemented to prevent attack include avoiding infested areas. These are areas with long grass, thick wood and bushes. When walking or working around such areas, use long sleeved pants and shirts to prevent bites on arms and legs.

Insect repellants work incredibly well to reduce exposure to the bacteria. The repellant you choose should contain a higher percentage of DEET. The eyes, hands and mouth should be avoided when applying such repellants. There are pretreated clothes or permethrin may be applied on ordinary ones.

Precaution should be taken to keep the yard tick free. This involves keeping woodpiles in the sun as well as clearing bushes. All pets and the entire living area should be disinfected on regular basis. A person who has had the disease is likely to catch it again. You should remove the tick as fast as possible using tweezers. Antiseptic should be applied on the bitten area.




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