Tips On How To Treat Lyme Disease

By Etta Bowen


The best way to treat lyme disease is to use antibiotics as early as possible. The symptoms can be seen within weeks or a month of the bite. These signs include a small bump that is characteristic of a rash around where the tick bit. The rush may spread to other areas on your skin. The rash is characterized by a bulls eye appearance with a clear red ring surrounding it. Flu like symptoms like headache and body aches, chills, fatigue and fever will be experienced as well.

Some of the signs develop weeks or a month after the bite. It is necessary to understand the symptoms at each stage since they develop progressively. Experts who understand how to treat lyme disease point at the spread of the rush to other body parts. This happens weeks or months after the bite.

Antibiotics will be administered after the doctor ascertains the presence of the bacteria through tests. Seeking early treatment leads to quicker recovery. Early treatment is done through oral antibiotics.

Adults and children over 8 years are given as dose of doxycycline or amoxicillin. Cefuroxime is the best option if children are below 8 years. Pregnant and breast feeding mothers are also treated using cefuroxime. The duration of treatment ranges between 14 and 21 days though there are cases where 10 to 14 days of antibiotic administration have proven effective.

Intravenous antibiotics are used when the bacteria has spread to the nervous system. This injection is administered over 14 to 28 days. While this method is effective, it takes longer to eliminate it from the body. Some of the side effects of this injection include reduction in white blood cell count, diarrhea and colonization by antibiotic resistant organisms.

After being treated, some patients will still display symptoms such as fatigue and muscle aches. The symptoms do not go away despite continue antibiotic use. This is attributed, to some extent, to the development of autoimmune response by the body. Studies are on going to unravel the mystery.

Bismacine is commonly prescribed by alternative practitioners though it has not been approved by Food and Drugs Administration. This is because it contains very high bismuth metal content. Patients are exposed to poisoning as well as such fatal diseases as kidney failure and heart attack.

It is advisable to avoid areas where deer ticks can be found if you are to keep off the disease. The areas include sections with long grass as well as bushy and wooded areas. Simple precautions that reduce exposure include wearing long pants and sleeved shirts when walking or working around such areas.

The market has insect repellants that are helpful in reducing exposure. A higher concentration of DEET makes repellants more effective. They should not come into contact with the hands, mouth and eyes of children during application. There are pretreated cloths for use in the farm or permethrin may be applied locally.

Regularly disinfected yards are considered safer and effective in keeping ticks off your skin. Other measures include clearing bushing and storing woodpiles in the sun. Pets must be disinfected on regular basis and living areas maintained in a very clean state. Tweezers should be used to remove the ticks when it bites your and antiseptic applied on the wound.




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