Essay On Lyme Disease

Words: 656
Pages: 3

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness. It can cause a rash that spreads in the shape of the bullseye, and flu like symptoms. If left untreated it can cause serious problems with a person’s heart, joints, and overall health. Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium that is found on the mouth of the Blacklegged Tick. The tick can infect Humans and other animals alike.

HOW DOES LYME DISEASE SPREAD?
The bacteria that is responsible for spreading Lyme disease is known by scientists as Borrelia burgdorfori. This is spread through the bite of infected ticks. The blacklegged tick (or deer tick) spreads the disease in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States. The western blacklegged tick spreads the disease
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If you have been in a wooded area, there is a small chance that you could have been bitten by the blacklegged tick that is responsible for causing Lyme disease. If you were bitten, some of the symptoms that you were infected with the bacteria are; fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain. The most common sign is a rash that forms around where the person was bitten in a bullseye pattern.
These symptoms may take anywhere from 3 to 30 days to show and some people may never have the symptoms. This could cause a person to not know they are sick and will cause further issues in the future. Some of these issues are; severe headaches and neck stiffness, arthritis, joint pain and swelling, irregular heartbeat, short term memory loss.

IS THERE A CURE FOR LYME DISEASE?
Currently there is a cure for Lyme disease, so if you are infected it won’t be a lifelong illness. To be cured, you must be diagnosed by a doctor and blood tests may have to be done. Once the doctor identifies someone with Lyme disease, they are given antibiotics that kill the bacteria causing Lyme disease. If someone has had Lyme disease for a long time without being diagnosed they may need antibiotics delivered directly to the