What You Need to Know About Lyme Disease Because It’s on the Rise
Lyme, the best-known tick-borne disease, is becoming more common than before, at least according to health insurance data that includes a diagnosis of Lyme. Our friends at Gizmodo recently released new data on (sorry) growth that is roughly in line with CDC estimates . So what do you need to know to keep yourself safe and healthy?
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi , which is carried by the black-footed tick Ixodes scapularis . This means that the disease can occur after a tick bite. In many cases (but not always), a rash develops around the site of the tick bite.
Symptoms may include fever and chills, and later other symptoms. Some of these include arthritis with joint pain and swelling, headaches, facial paralysis, heart palpitations, tingling, numbness, or shooting pains in the arms and legs. The CDC has more information on symptoms here .
Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but some symptoms may persist even after treatment.
How can I prevent Lyme disease?
Prevention of the disease mainly consists in preventing tick bites. The main defenses here are DEET on your skin, permethrin on your clothes, and checking for ticks after you’ve been outside if you live in an area where Lyme is common. Ticks usually crawl around you for a while before biting, so if you can find a hitchhiker before he attaches, you can shake him off (or flush down the drain in the shower) to prevent a bite.
Ticks that carry Lyme disease don’t just prey on humans; they also feed on the blood of deer, rabbits, mice, and other wild animals. (Here we have more information on how ticks find and bite you , if you’re interested.)
Who Can Get Lime?
Lyme is most common in the Northeastern United States , from West Virginia north to New England; and around the Great Lakes region, including Minnesota and Wisconsin. The ticks that carry the disease spread outside of this area, so you can also get Lyme disease if you live in a nearby area or if you have recently traveled to an area endemic for Lyme disease.
What is the treatment for Lyme disease?
Short answer: antibiotics. Borrelia burgdorferi is a bacterium and can be killed with a course of antibiotics, usually doxycycline. Depending on where you live and how common Lyme disease is, your doctor may want to test you for Lyme disease before prescribing treatment, or they may assume you have it and just write you a prescription just in case. Not all tick bites lead to Lyme disease.
Sometimes symptoms may persist after treatment, which the CDC calls Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS). The bacteria are gone, but they may have triggered an autoimmune response that is still going on, leading to constant pain, fatigue, and brain fog. Anyway, this seems to be happening; syndrome is not yet well understood.
Is Lyme disease a gift from the universe?
A clip of a podcast was recently circulated in which two influencers discuss the idea that Lyme disease is “intergalactic” in origin and that being infected with the disease is a “gift”. These are not, shall we say, scientifically accepted theories.
The attribution of a wide range of symptoms to the chronic version of Lyme disease has become a cash cow for so-called “Lyme literate” healthcare professionals, and some celebrities and influencers have embraced Lyme disease as part of their identity .
This can lead to costly treatments, including long-term antibiotics, supplements, intravenous treatments, and other therapies that mainstream medicine would consider inappropriate for Lyme disease or PTLDS , and which can actually be dangerous. If you suspect you have Lyme disease, see a doctor or provider you trust and be wary of trying to push you into expensive long-term treatment regimens.