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.

Advanced stages come with own symptoms. The bacteria are progressive in severity. Experts who understand how to treat lyme disease suggest that the symptoms will become more clear as days or weeks progress. In some cases, it takes up to a month.

When tests confirm that the bacteria are present, antibiotics are used in treatment. The best way is to seek treatment at the earliest opportunity. This will hasten recovery. At the earliest stages, antibiotics are administered orally.

Amoxicillin and doxycycline are used on children above 8 years and adults. Pregnant and breast feeding mothers as well as children below 8 years are treated using Cefuroxime. Treatment takes between 14 and 21 days though some studies indicate that 10 to 14 days are enough to clear the bacteria.

Intravenous antibiotics are used when the bacteria has spread to the nervous system. This injection is administered over 14 to 28 days. While this method is effective, it takes longer to eliminate it from the body. Some of the side effects of this injection include reduction in white blood cell count, diarrhea and colonization by antibiotic resistant organisms.

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.

Bismacine is commonly prescribed by alternative practitioners though it has not been approved by Food and Drugs Administration. This is because it contains very high bismuth metal content. Patients are exposed to poisoning as well as such fatal diseases as kidney failure and heart attack.

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.

There are insect repellants that can be used to reduce exposure. The most effective repellants have higher DEET concentration. Guardians must avoid the mouth, hands and eyes when applying such repellants on children. Permethrin may be applied on cloths or pretreated clothes obtained for farm use.

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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment