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~ Back to Articles Index Page ~  Lyme disease, or lyme borreliosis, is a bacterial illness caused by at least three species of bacteria, and spread through the bite of an infected tick. Lyme disease affects the skin, joints, heart, and the nervous system and can occur in phases, the early phase beginning at the site of the tick bite. The most recognizable sign is an expanding ring of redness at the site of the bite. The disease is diagnosed by physicians looking at the patient's symptoms and through the detection of Lyme antibodies in the blood. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics and is not serious when caught in time. Preventing Lyme disease is simple; remember to wear long sleeves and pants when walking in dense bushes, tucking your pants into the tops of your boots and tucking your shirt into your pants. In this article we'll have a look at how Lyme disease is contracted, the signs, symptoms, and treatment of Lyme disease, which season is most likely to see Lyme disease emerge, which geographical regions of Canada are showing cases of Lyme disease, and how to properly remove a tick. In additional, our online article provides a printable cheat sheet for you to tape onto the inside of your medicine cabinet door so you'll know exactly what to do if someone in your family is bitten by an infected tick. HOW IS LYME DISEASE CONTRACTED?  Small rodents, usually white-footed mice or deer mice, are the best hosts for Lyme bacteria. Larval ticks pick up the bacteria when they take blood from infected mice. The tiny seed ticks molt into bigger ticks (nymphs) which attach to vegetation and are picked up by animals passing by. These animals could be ground squirrels, rabbits, hares or people. After feeding, the nymphs drop off, molt to adults, and then attach to bigger animals, such as deer. Thus the greatest chance of people being infected occurs when they walk bare-legged through brush and tall grass in spring and summer when tick nymphs are most active. Adult ticks have eight legs rather than six, they cannot jump or fly, and do not drop from trees. 1 LYME DISEASE SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT Lyme disease affects different areas of the body in varying degrees as it progresses. The site where the tick bites the body is where the bacteria enter through the skin. As the bacteria spread in the skin away from the initial tick bite, the infection causes an expanding reddish rash that is often associated with "flu-like" symptoms. Later, it can produce abnormalities in the joints, heart, and nervous system. In the early phase of the illness, within days to weeks of the tick bite, the skin around the bite develops an expanding ring of unraised redness. There may be an outer ring of brighter redness and a central area of clearing, leading to a "bull's-eye" appearance. Patients often can't recall the tick bite because the ticks can be as small as the periods in this paragraph. It is also reported, however, that more than one in four patients never get a rash. The redness of the skin is often accompanied by generalized fatgue, muscle and joint stiffness, swollen lymph nodes and headaches, resembling symptoms of a virus infection. The redness resolves, without treatment, in about a month. Weeks to months after the initial redness of the skin, the bacteria and their effects spread throughout the body. Subsequently, disease in the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. Most cases of Lyme disease are curable with antibiotics. The type of antibiotic depends on the stage of the disease and what areas of the body are affected. Early illness is usually treated with medicines taken by mouth. Therefore, if a person finds a typical bull's-eye skin rash developing in an area of a tick bite, they should seek medical attention sooner rather than later. Generally, antibiotic treatment resolves the rash within one or two weeks with no long-term consequences. 2 PREVENTION - PERSONAL PROTECTION The following precautions will decrease the likelihood of tick attachment: 
When resting, sit on a bare rock, a ground sheet, or a vegetation-free area instead of stretching out on vegetation. Make daily examinations for ticks, paying particular attention to the base of the skull and the scalp. Check the backs of everyone in the group and carefully inspect any children. Clothes should be closely examined for ticks, especially near the collar, after they have been hanging overnight. If you have the following symptoms within days or weeks after being bitten by a tick, please report them to your family doctor immediately. Tell your doctor when and where you were bitten by a tick. If possible, keep any removed ticks and take them to your doctor who may need to have the ticks identified. Ticks can be stored in any sealed container in a fridge or freezer. NOT ALL TICKS CARRY LYME DISEASE The disease is caused by a tiny spiral-shaped bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. Infection of humans usually occurs during the summer months from May to August and after a bite by AN INFECTED ARTHROPOD. In most cases the arthropod is a tick. 3 HOW TO REMOVE A TICK Step 1 - Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to your child's skin. 
Step 2 - Pull firmly and steadily until the tick lets go of the skin. Step 3 - Release the tick into a jar of alcohol. Step 4 - Swab the bite site with alcohol. Here's a quick CHEAT SHEET for you to print out and tape to the inside of your medicine cabinet door. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) report of June 9, 2009 suggests that only 1 geographically discrete population of I. scapularis was known, at Long Point on the Ontario shore of Lake Erie. Since 1997, detection of human cases...has led to the identification of populations ...in souther Ontario, Nova Scotia, southeastern Manitoba and New Brunswick. [There is] the possibility of additional emerging populations in southern Quebec... 4 In Alberta, ticks with Lyme Disease (borrelia burgdorferi) have been identified in the Edmonton area. 5 To date, there have been over 60 confirmed cases of Lyme Disease in British Columbia. Of these, 20 cases had no record of travel outside of the province and are thus considered to have contracted the disease within BC. 6 According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), Lyme disease is present in several areas, including Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast and the Kootenays. References: 1. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/ticksbc.htm 2. MedicineNet.com http://www.medicinenet.com/lyme_disease/page2.htm 3. Government of Alberta, Health and Wellness http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-info/lyme-disease.html 4. CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/180/12/1221 5. Alberta Health Services http://www.capitalhealth.ca/NewsAndEvents/NewsReleases/2007/Ticks_Lyme_disease.htm 6. British Columbia Ministry of Health http://www.unbc.ca/nlui/wildlife_diseases_bc/Lyme_disease.htm Carol Roy is a Natural Health Practitioner, registered with Natural Health Practitioners Canada, who received her diploma from the Alternative Medicine College of Canada in Montreal, Quebec. With 9 years experience in her area of expertise, naturopathic medicine, Carol has also trained to become a fully qualified Reiki Master, Quantum Touch ® Practitioner and Reflexologist. are recommendations only and not a substitute for any medical advice or a replacement for any prescriptions. Seek medical advice for any health concerns. Consult your health care provider before using any recommendations herein. |
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