$Unique_ID{BRK01064}
$Pretitle{Ill Defined Symptoms and Rare Diseases, Infections or Parasites}
$Title{Signs and Symptoms That Mark the Presence of Lyme Disease}
$Subject{Lyme arthritis rash ticks}
$Volume{N-17, A-17}
$Log{
Lyme Disease-General Information*0005201.scf
Lyme Disease-Protection*0005202.scf
Lyme Disease-First Sign*0005203.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Signs and Symptoms That Mark the Presence of Lyme Disease


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QUESTION:  With pleasant weather returning, my family and I will be returning
to our vagabond ways, picnicking and hiking.  We are aware that we must now
protect ourselves against tick bites and Lyme disease, but could you fill us
in on some of the signs and symptoms that mark the presence of the disease?
We think your readers would appreciate this information, to help alert them to
this dangerous condition.

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ANSWER:  Lyme disease is a disorder affecting our immune system caused by
screw-shaped bacteria known as spirochetes.  The bacteria are transmitted
through bites from certain species of ticks that normally live on wild
animals, in particular, deer.
     The disease was originally known as Lyme arthritis, since its ultimate
symptoms resemble that condition:  painful, swollen joints, usually in the
larger joints of the knees or elbows.  (By contrast, rheumatoid arthritis
usually affects the numerous smaller joints of the hands and feet in a
symmetrical manner, while Lyme disease is often experienced on one side but
not the other.)
     The condition originates in the tick's bite (usually received in the
thigh, groin or armpit), resembling a pimple-like, hard bump in the center of
a bright red rash.  Approximately half of those bitten develop secondary
lesions within a few days.  These rashes are smaller, lack the hard center,
and usually disappear within the month.
     Left untreated, the disease enters its second stage anywhere from a few
weeks to a few months later:  continued rashes, and for between 10 to 15
percent of sufferers, either neurological symptoms such as meningitis or
facial palsy, or cardiac abnormalities of chest pains, palpitations and
shortness of breath.  If the disease enters its third stage, the
arthritis-like symptoms develop.  For some 10 percent of its victims who reach
this stage, the arthritis becomes a chronic condition.  Once recognized, a
simple course of antibiotic medication is usually effective against Lyme
disease; avoiding tick bites from the late spring through the early summer is
even more effective.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
