Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Tips On 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.

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.

Food and Drug Administration has warned against using Bismacine. This is an injectable compound commonly used by alternative practitioners. It contains high levels of bismuth, a harmful metal to the body. Its use in injections is said to be poisonous by exposing the patient to such conditions as heart ailments and kidney failure.

Measures that can be implemented to prevent attack include avoiding infested areas. These are areas with long grass, thick wood and bushes. When walking or working around such areas, use long sleeved pants and shirts to prevent bites on arms and legs.

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.

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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