Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of tick. About a week after infection, an expanding rash begins at the site of the bite. However, between 25 and 50 percent of infected people never develop such a rash. Other symptoms included fever, headache, and lethargy. Untreated Lyme disease can lead to the inability to move one or both sides of the face, joint pain, and heart palpitations.

Infection with Lyme disease generally occurs after a tick has been attached to a human being for 36 to 48 hours. Transmission from person to person, by other animals, or through food is not possible. Prevention is generally through basic efforts to avoid tick bites such as wearing long pants and using DEET. If an infection does develop, the use of antibiotics has proven highly effective in treating Lyme disease. Some 300,000 people each year across North America, along with another 65,000 in Europe, are infected with Lyme disease.

Lyme disease cases occur most frequently between the months of May and September, as the ticks move through their nymphal stage. Many patients infected with Lyme disease will develop a stereotypical bull's-eye rash, but not all. If left untreated, Lyme disease can spread throughout the body, and cause neurological symptoms. Most common are cognitive impairments, including migraines, brain fog, and even psychosis in extreme cases.