By Cheryl Emery

Every year, since 1999, I have written, hoping to share my knowledge of Lyme Disease – and reminding others on how to avoid this debilitating disease. Brad Paisley’s summertime hit "I’d Like To Check You For Ticks" is not only a humorous song but also a great suggestion & reminder for this time of the year.

Eight years ago, I thought I had picked up a little poison ivy on the back of my knee. I treated it with the usual topical ointment, and my doctor verified that it was just that. However, when extreme feelings of fatigue, tingling in my hands and memory hesitations became pronounced, it was apparent that I was dealing with more than just poison ivy. The facial paralysis that followed was correctly diagnosed as Bell’s Palsy. The rest of the symptoms were incorrectly diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis, as I had actually contracted Lyme Disease. The aches and pains, the fatigue, the memory struggles, colds, ear infections, hoarseness, poor balance, sleeping problems, face/eye twitches, thinking process "sluggishness", lower concentration level, moods, neck stiffness/cracking, eye sight problems and weight gain, though greatly improved, still remain. I have become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

With REPORTED Lyme Disease in Maryland having doubled since 2000, the growing crisis needs to be a concern for all of us. According to the Centers for Disease Control, from over 9,400 cases nationwide of Lyme Disease a year in 1991, the annual reported cases more than doubled to 23,000 by 2005. This makes it the most common illness transmitted by bugs or animals in the United States. This increase likely is the result of several factors, including a true increase in disease incidence and enhanced case detection resulting from implementation of laboratory-based surveillance in several states, the CDC said in its weekly report on death and disease. CDC also states that only a small percentage of cases are actually reported."

Deer ticks are the primary carriers for Lyme. Deer ticks are not only hosted by deer but mice and possibly other ticks, birds, squirrels, pets and other small animals. Some say it would help to reduce the number of deer. However, some studies indicate that it may actually increases the risk, since the ticks that carry the disease are more likely to ride on humans when they can't find deer or other wildlife. Pets can also bring ticks into the house. Due to their minute size, deer ticks can be very difficult to detect. They, in their nymph stage, are the size of the period at the end of this sentence. They are not the same as the bigger ticks that you see, for example, on your pets. (Numerous other diseases can be contracted from the larger ticks, as well.) We live in a high-risk area.

Not all Deer Ticks (the size of the period at the end of this sentence) carry the bacteria that cause Lyme. If caught early, Lyme is "curable" - with few, if any complications. Contracting Lyme does not prevent you from contracting it again. Everyone does not get the "bull's eye" ring around the bite area. Deer Tick season is April through November in our area.

 

Early symptoms of Lyme Disease appear 3 to 32 days after the bite of an infected tick that was attached for at least 24 hours. Many people with Lyme Disease will get a rash called "erythema migrans" where they were bitten. The rash starts as a small red round area, which usually gets bigger and can reach two or more inches across. The center of the rash may clear giving a "bull’s eye" appearance.

* Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Epidemiology and Disease Control Program

 

Most people do not feel the deer tick bite. Between 40 to 60 percent of infected humans never notice a rash. And, if they do, less than 50 percent have the telltale bull's eye ring. The first symptoms of Lyme Disease may be a flu-like condition, with fever, chills, headache, stiff-neck, aches and fatigue and sometimes even tooth pain. Weeks or months after the bite (even a bite you don't remember) you may develop pain in various joints or muscles, neurological problems, heart irregularities, problems with vision or hearing, headaches, low-grade fever or other symptoms.

Lyme symptoms can mimic Alzheimer's Disease, Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Behavior, Dyslexia or Childhood Arthritis. It may also be identified as laziness, forgetfulness, low cognitive function, poor reasoning skills, mood swings, poor short term memory, fatigue, lack of concentration, "growing pains", slow reader, depression, trouble learning new material in school, poor motor skills, decreased vision, decreased hearing, and the list goes on and on.

 

If you find a deer tick - DON’T panic – not all deer ticks carry Lyme and it is believed that they need to be attached at least 24 hours to infect you. Remove the tick from your skin right away. To remove an embedded deer tick, grasp the tick firmly and as close to the skin as possible using fine-tipped tweezers. With a steady motion, pull the tick away from the skin. The tick's mouthparts may remain in the skin, but do not be alarmed. The bacterium that causes Lyme is contained in the tick's midgut. This is why you must not squeeze the tick's tiny midsection. (Cover your fingers with gloves or a tissue if you don't have tweezers.) Clean the bite with alcohol. Circle the area with a pen and watch for any change in appearance. Mark your calendar on the date you found the tick. If a rash or other symptoms develop within three to 32 days, call your doctor immediately.

The blood test for Lyme Disease is not consistently reliable. Serological tests may miss up to 60 percent of positive cases of Lyme and are especially unreliable if done less than 2 weeks after the bite. Even then you may test negative, though you actually may have the disease. There are also a high percentage of false positive results. Lyme Disease must be identified and treated by a physician knowledgeable about the disease. Often that person is a specialist. There is no test to determine how long you have had Lyme. Also, there is no test to determine, after treatment, that the Lyme is gone. You will test positive for the rest of your life.

Lyme Disease is treated with antibiotics and when treated early has few ramifications. If left untreated, it may lead to more serious illnesses of the heart, joints and nervous system. Pregnant women can miscarry. There is controversy in the medical community as to whether advanced Lyme is curable. Many people, like myself, suffer post-treatment relapses of Lyme symptoms for the rest of their lives.

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Notice to Readers from Centers For Disease Control & Prevention:

Caution Regarding Testing for Lyme Disease

"CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have become aware of commercial laboratories that conduct testing for Lyme disease by using assays whose accuracy and clinical usefulness have not been adequately established. Patients are encouraged to ask their physicians whether their testing for Lyme disease was performed using validated methods and whether results were interpreted using appropriate guidelines."

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The best precaution is avoidance. When you venture outside, apply an insect repellent containing DEET (n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide) to exposed skin and clothes. When you or people in your care (especially children & the elderly) come indoors, check for ticks.

You should avoid "deer paths" and other animal trails (including in your yard). Be observant around birdfeeders. Avoid leaf litter, tall grass and low brush (Ticks cannot jump, hop or fly - you must brush up against one in order for it to attach. Ticks generally crawl from the bottom up), avoid the area where the grassline meets the woods. Use extra care while mowing your lawn, especially any areas that have last year's leaves and low hanging foliage. Be watchful at ballgames and parks. Use insect repellent (at least on feet, including between toes, on shoes, socks and legs, especially behind your knees). Brush off clothes before going inside, make sure that "little crawly feeling" is really nothing - don't automatically "bat at", brush off or ignore. Check for Deer Ticks - actually any ticks. Ticks can survive the washing machine but not the heat from a dryer (at least 16 minute). Ticks can live in your house, unattached, for a couple of days.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awards more than $3.5 million per year to 10 institutions for new research on Lyme disease. The studies are designed to improve understanding of the disease and to examine new methods for testing, prevention, and control."

Please note as well that your family pets can also contact Lyme Disease.

Every day that you wait can add more seriousness to the long-term ramifications of LYME.

Don't be paranoid but don't be foolish.

Please take LYME seriously - it could change your life, your child's life and your family's life.

Lyme Disease Foundation: www.lyme.org

American Lyme Disease Foundation: www.aldf.com

National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/

 

Please feel free to contact me at:

Cheryl Emery: CherylEmery@comcast.net