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Check list of symptoms, - check here
Highlight each symptom and bring the check list to your next doctors appointment.
Highlight each symptom and bring the check list to your next doctors appointment.
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One Presentation You Missed
The settlement between the Attorney General of Connecticut and the IDSA over the 2006 IDSA Lyme disease guidelines was historic yet
much of the agreed upon process was left under IDSA control. Not only did IDSA get to choose the panel members, thereby restricting
the range of opinions represented, it also set the hearing length, location and date. Most importantly, IDSA retained the power to select
the speakers, including those challenging the guidelines. Among those not chosen is Dr. Betty Maloney. This is disappointing because
Dr. Maloney wrote 6 evidence-based challenges to the recommendations on prophylaxis, early Lyme disease, late neurologic Lyme
disease, post-treatment Lyme disease, the list of not recommended therapies and the use of clinical judgment in Lyme disease. Some of
her points were taken up by other ILADS presenters but the strength of her material is best understood when seen as a whole. Here is
the PowerPoint presentation (Save to your computer when prompted). Microsoft PowerPoint program is needed to view.) she would
have presented to the panel had she been selected . The text of her narrated slides can also be down loaded here.
Symptoms:
Acute (early) Lyme disease symptoms:
* rash - This rash, called erythema migrans (EM), is usually oval or circular, uniform in color and
centered on the initial bite site. Although the “bull’s eye” rash is the classic Lyme disease rash,
it occurs in only 10-20% of the patients who have a rash during their illness. One third of
all Lyme disease patients never have an EM rash.
* fever
* malaise
* fatigue
* headache
* muscle and joint aches
The incubation period from tick bite to the onset of symptoms is usually 1-2 weeks but it can be as long as one month. It is possible for
an infected person to have no symptoms or display only one or two symptoms; this can make obtaining a correct diagnosis difficult.
Persistent (late) Lyme disease symptoms:
* fatigue
* muscle and joint aches
* Bell’s palsy
* pain
* numbness, tingling or burning sensations
* meningitis
* tremor, muscle twitches
* short-term memory loss
* depression, anxiety, panic attacks
* hallucinations
and many others.
The symptoms of late Lyme disease can appear months to years from infection. Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause chronic
disability, but it is rarely fatal. Cases of persistent infection have been known to linger for 20 years before being correctly diagnosed.
Diagnosis
The most reliable method for diagnosing Lyme disease is a thorough medical history and physical exam. The history
includes details about possible tick exposure, current medical problems and a complete review of all symptoms. The physical exam
includes a good general exam plus detailed dermatologic, neurologic and joint exams.
The laboratory tests used to assist in the diagnosis of Lyme disease include the ELISA and Western blots. The ELISA is called the
“screening test”; if it is positive then Western blots are done. Unfortunately, neither is a reliable indicator of illness; test results vary
between labs and within the same lab and false positives and false negatives are common. A 2003 study by CDC researchers
demonstrated that the C6 ELISA, a commonly used test for Lyme disease, performed well for patients with arthritis but missed patients
with acute disease and many with early or late neurologic Lyme disease. Because of these sorts of testing problems, Lyme disease must
be diagnosed on clinical grounds. Lab tests may confirm a clinical diagnosis but by themselves they cannot rule the disease
in or out.
Treatment
The treatment of Lyme disease requires the use of antibiotics.
In cases where an EM rash is present, treatment should begin immediately. Blood tests are not recommended because they are often
falsely negative. Most studies on the treatment of early Lyme disease used at least 20 days of antibiotic therapy. Treatment is usually
successful; overall cure rates for this stage are roughly 90%.
Late Lyme disease is much more difficult to treat and while most patients improve with antibiotic therapy, cure rates are much lower. The
duration of treatment can be quite long; some patients
may need to be on antibiotics for months or even years. Others may require intermittent courses of antibiotics. Each case is unique
and care need to be individualized.
Prevention
Lyme disease can be prevented by avoiding areas where ticks thrive. This includes heavily
wooded areas, places with thick underbrush and long grassy areas at the edge of a wood.
When these places cannot be avoided, prevention can be achieved by:
* applying Insect repellents, especially those containing DEET, to exposed skin
* pre-treating clothing, before it is worn, with Permethrin, a tick insecticide
* wearing light-colored clothing so ticks can be easily spotted and removed
* wearing long sleeves and pants; with pant bottoms tucked into the tops of ones socks.
Additionally, ticks usually need to be attached to the skin for at least 24 hours before Borrelia burgdorferi (the Lyme disease bacteria)
can be transmitted. Performing body-wide tick checks after being in tick habitats and immediately removing any discovered ticks may
prevent infection.
Upon returning home, go to a designated area, remove clothing to wash and dry as soon as possible.
Bath each day you have been in grassy or wooded areas, remembering to scrub hard to remove any ticks that have not yet attached.
Lyme Disease and Co-infections - LDA click here
More WI Areas Prone to Lyme - Click here to read more
3 host Tick Cycle - click here
Tick Life Cycle - click here
Lyme cases spike 77% from 2006 to 2008
Reported Lyme disease cases by state 1999-2008 read more
In 2008 the CDC changed its Lyme reporting process: to include both “confirmed” and “probable” cases in the total, and during this
transition year, it’s difficult to tell how this affected the accuracy of the case count. Fifteen states failed to report any “probable” cases -
read more
Other tick-borne illnesses - click here to go to the CDC website
The settlement between the Attorney General of Connecticut and the IDSA over the 2006 IDSA Lyme disease guidelines was historic yet
much of the agreed upon process was left under IDSA control. Not only did IDSA get to choose the panel members, thereby restricting
the range of opinions represented, it also set the hearing length, location and date. Most importantly, IDSA retained the power to select
the speakers, including those challenging the guidelines. Among those not chosen is Dr. Betty Maloney. This is disappointing because
Dr. Maloney wrote 6 evidence-based challenges to the recommendations on prophylaxis, early Lyme disease, late neurologic Lyme
disease, post-treatment Lyme disease, the list of not recommended therapies and the use of clinical judgment in Lyme disease. Some of
her points were taken up by other ILADS presenters but the strength of her material is best understood when seen as a whole. Here is
the PowerPoint presentation (Save to your computer when prompted). Microsoft PowerPoint program is needed to view.) she would
have presented to the panel had she been selected . The text of her narrated slides can also be down loaded here.
Symptoms:
Acute (early) Lyme disease symptoms:
* rash - This rash, called erythema migrans (EM), is usually oval or circular, uniform in color and
centered on the initial bite site. Although the “bull’s eye” rash is the classic Lyme disease rash,
it occurs in only 10-20% of the patients who have a rash during their illness. One third of
all Lyme disease patients never have an EM rash.
* fever
* malaise
* fatigue
* headache
* muscle and joint aches
The incubation period from tick bite to the onset of symptoms is usually 1-2 weeks but it can be as long as one month. It is possible for
an infected person to have no symptoms or display only one or two symptoms; this can make obtaining a correct diagnosis difficult.
Persistent (late) Lyme disease symptoms:
* fatigue
* muscle and joint aches
* Bell’s palsy
* pain
* numbness, tingling or burning sensations
* meningitis
* tremor, muscle twitches
* short-term memory loss
* depression, anxiety, panic attacks
* hallucinations
and many others.
The symptoms of late Lyme disease can appear months to years from infection. Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause chronic
disability, but it is rarely fatal. Cases of persistent infection have been known to linger for 20 years before being correctly diagnosed.
Diagnosis
The most reliable method for diagnosing Lyme disease is a thorough medical history and physical exam. The history
includes details about possible tick exposure, current medical problems and a complete review of all symptoms. The physical exam
includes a good general exam plus detailed dermatologic, neurologic and joint exams.
The laboratory tests used to assist in the diagnosis of Lyme disease include the ELISA and Western blots. The ELISA is called the
“screening test”; if it is positive then Western blots are done. Unfortunately, neither is a reliable indicator of illness; test results vary
between labs and within the same lab and false positives and false negatives are common. A 2003 study by CDC researchers
demonstrated that the C6 ELISA, a commonly used test for Lyme disease, performed well for patients with arthritis but missed patients
with acute disease and many with early or late neurologic Lyme disease. Because of these sorts of testing problems, Lyme disease must
be diagnosed on clinical grounds. Lab tests may confirm a clinical diagnosis but by themselves they cannot rule the disease
in or out.
Treatment
The treatment of Lyme disease requires the use of antibiotics.
In cases where an EM rash is present, treatment should begin immediately. Blood tests are not recommended because they are often
falsely negative. Most studies on the treatment of early Lyme disease used at least 20 days of antibiotic therapy. Treatment is usually
successful; overall cure rates for this stage are roughly 90%.
Late Lyme disease is much more difficult to treat and while most patients improve with antibiotic therapy, cure rates are much lower. The
duration of treatment can be quite long; some patients
may need to be on antibiotics for months or even years. Others may require intermittent courses of antibiotics. Each case is unique
and care need to be individualized.
Prevention
Lyme disease can be prevented by avoiding areas where ticks thrive. This includes heavily
wooded areas, places with thick underbrush and long grassy areas at the edge of a wood.
When these places cannot be avoided, prevention can be achieved by:
* applying Insect repellents, especially those containing DEET, to exposed skin
* pre-treating clothing, before it is worn, with Permethrin, a tick insecticide
* wearing light-colored clothing so ticks can be easily spotted and removed
* wearing long sleeves and pants; with pant bottoms tucked into the tops of ones socks.
Additionally, ticks usually need to be attached to the skin for at least 24 hours before Borrelia burgdorferi (the Lyme disease bacteria)
can be transmitted. Performing body-wide tick checks after being in tick habitats and immediately removing any discovered ticks may
prevent infection.
Upon returning home, go to a designated area, remove clothing to wash and dry as soon as possible.
Bath each day you have been in grassy or wooded areas, remembering to scrub hard to remove any ticks that have not yet attached.
Lyme Disease and Co-infections - LDA click here
More WI Areas Prone to Lyme - Click here to read more
3 host Tick Cycle - click here
Tick Life Cycle - click here
Lyme cases spike 77% from 2006 to 2008
Reported Lyme disease cases by state 1999-2008 read more
In 2008 the CDC changed its Lyme reporting process: to include both “confirmed” and “probable” cases in the total, and during this
transition year, it’s difficult to tell how this affected the accuracy of the case count. Fifteen states failed to report any “probable” cases -
read more
Other tick-borne illnesses - click here to go to the CDC website
How were YOU diagnosed?
