How To Treat Lyme Disease

By Etta Bowen


Treating lyme disease requires antibiotic intervention as early as possible. It takes several weeks to a month to see the first symptoms. On the area where the tick bit, a small bump will appear and later the rash will spread to other parts of the body. It has a bulls eye characteristic with a clear area and a red circle surrounding the area bitten. The patient experiences body and head aches, fatigue, fever and chills, among other flu like symptoms.

There are other signs that will develop in the latter stages. This is indicative of a progressive attack by the bacteria. Experts know how to treat lyme disease before it gets worse and spreads the rash to other areas. Secondary symptoms will take several weeks or up to a month to appear.

Specific tests are conducted to ascertain the presence of the bacteria. The antibiotics should be administered as early as possible. This will lead to quick and complete recovery. Treatment is done through oral administration of antibiotics.

Adults and children who are 8 years and above are given doxycycline or amoxicillin. Cefuroxime is used to treat younger children as well as pregnant and breast feeding mothers. The recommended duration is 14 to 21 days. Some studies suggest that a regime lasting 10 to 14 days would still be effective.

If the disease has spread to the nervous system, an intravenous injection is recommended. The injection will be administered for 14 to 28 days in order to clear the bacteria. This is because of the difficulty of eliminating the bacteria in this area. When administered, you can expect such side effects as reduction in white blood cells count, diarrhea and the presence of antibiotic resistant micro organisms in the body.

Despite continued treatment, some of the symptoms that do not go away include fatigue and muscle aches. This does not mean that the antibiotics do not work. The phenomenon is attributed to autoimmune response by the body. Researchers are working to unravel this mystery.

The use of Bismacine is yet to receive full approval from Food and Drugs Administration. This is a common prescription by alternative practitioners. Its high concentration of bismuth metal is the main cause. It may lead to poisoning or predispose the patient to conditions such as kidney failure and heart diseases.

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.

Insect repellants work incredibly well to reduce exposure to the bacteria. The repellant you choose should contain a higher percentage of DEET. The eyes, hands and mouth should be avoided when applying such repellants. There are pretreated clothes or permethrin may be applied on ordinary ones.

All yards require regular disinfecting to keep them free from ticks. Woodpiles should be kept in the sun with efforts to clear bushes. Regular disinfecting of pets is recommended besides keeping the living area clean. Ticks should be removes as quickly as possible using tweezers and antiseptic applied on the bitten section.




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