LYME DISEASE: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Lyme Disease is not particularly common, there are about 2-3000 cases in the UK each year. The number of cases confirmed are slowly increasing but that’s in part to greater awareness of the disease. This article will provide details into what Lyme Disease is, the symptoms to look out for, and the actions and treatments required to ensure a full recovery.

Lyme Disease is an illness caused by the bacteria borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria is transmitted to humans by tick bites.

Generally, it is easy to treat with a course of antibiotics but, if left untreated it can cause long term complications. It is therefore important to know when you are at risk of catching it, and that the diagnosis is considered if you develop any of the symptoms of the illness following a tick bite. 

In the UK, Lyme disease is usually contracted by people who have spent time outdoors, particularly in forested areas. Areas considered to present a particular risk of the disease are the:

• Scottish Highlands
•  Yorkshire moors
• Lake District
• New Forest, Thetford Forest
• Exmoor
• South Downs

It also exists in many other countries so it can be caught when holidaying abroad, for example in Europe or the USA.

Ideally, avoiding contracting Lyme Disease is better than treating it. This centres around trying to avoid getting bitten by ticks. When outdoors in forested or countryside areas, you should consider the following:

• wearing long sleeves and trousers

• using insect repellent

• sticking to paths rather than wading through long grass or undergrowth in which ticks may be living.

• check yourself and your clothes for ticks, shower or bath, and check pets and children for ticks as well. 

If you find a tick then you should remove this carefully. You can do this using tweezers or special tick removal tools which can be cheaply bought online, or in outdoor pursuits shops or pet shops.

1. Grip the tick at its base and pull firmly but smoothly, trying to avoid leaving any part of the tick buried in the skin.

2. Clean the area afterwards with soap and water. Not all tick bites will cause Lyme Disease but, having been bitten by a tick, you should be vigilant for the symptoms. 

STAGE ONE

The first stage is a red circular rash that slowly spreads from the site of the bite.

This is sometimes described as looking like a ‘bullseye’ because there is an outer red ring, paler skin in the middle, with the tick bite right in the centre. The rash is not itchy or painful and may not be noticed if it is on the back. About 7 in 10 people with Lyme Disease will have this typical rash. Some people will also have ‘flu-like symptoms like muscle aches, fever, headache and irritated eyes. Even without treatment, some people’s immune systems will clear the infection, others will progress to the second stage of the infection.

Because Lyme Disease can have these long term consequences, it is important to treat it promptly. When treated early it usually responds to a simple course of antibiotics. If there is a high degree of suspicion of Lyme Disease, for example in people with the typical rash, treatment should start straight away.

To confirm infection, or to test for Lyme Disease in people with no rash, a blood test is taken to check for antibodies against Lyme Disease. The first test should be done within a few weeks of the suspected infection although it can take several weeks for the antibodies to develop so, if there is a strong suspicion of Lyme Disease, the blood test is usually repeated after another four to six weeks. It is because of this delay in antibody production that treatment should start before the results of any antibody tests – a first negative result may be a ‘false negative’.