![]() In this case, you may do better to see a doctor who is familiar with the disease. However, many doctors are not familiar with treating Lyme patients. If you have this diagnosis your doctor should treat you. Will my doctor treat me for Lyme disease? If these are also passed into the bloodstream, they too may establish and complicate the symptoms and outlook. Several other infections can sometimes be found in tick secretions. Do other diseases accompany Lyme disease? If treatment is delayed there is less chance of a full recovery. Treatment is with antibiotics and is most effective if started as early as possible in the disease. It is not in a patient’s best interests for the disease to remain untreated. Whilst it is extremely unusual for the illness to be fatal, symptoms can range from mild to very severe. The outlook varies from person to person. Anyone can get Lyme disease if a tick that is carrying the infection has bitten him or her. People who live in the parts of the country where the tick is prevalent are likely to be at greater risk. The tick prefers to live in woods, heath and moorland, although it does not occur exclusively in these habitats. This tick can also feed on deer and other wild mammals and birds. In the United Kingdom, Lyme disease is carried by the sheep tick, Ixodes ricinus. Since full recovery may not take place in many cases, the total number of people affected is accumulating. The true number of cases is not known, and may be higher still. HPA official estimates suggest there could be up to 3,000 new cases occurring in the UK every year. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) acknowledges that confirmed cases do not necessarily reflect all the cases of the disease. The number of cases confirmed by blood testing has risen from 292 in 2003 to 768 in 2006. The symptom pattern varies from person to person. The list of symptoms known to be associated with Lyme disease is long and diverse. It may manifest in a chronic form and be known as Erythema chronicum migrans or ECM rash. If the rash does occur, it is termed Erythema migrans or EM rash. However, a rash in any form is not a universal symptom. In some cases a characteristically shaped, expanding ‘bull’s eye’ rash appears on the skin. The commonest symptoms relate to the person feeling unwell, having flu-like symptoms, extreme tiredness, muscle pain, muscle weakness, and joint pain, upset digestive system, headache, disturbances of the central nervous system and a poor sleep pattern. Lyme disease can affect any part of the body and cause many different symptoms. In a population of ticks, only some will carry the infection. In nearly all cases it is transmitted to humans by the bite of a tick infected with these bacteria. Diagnosis is easiest when there is a skin rash but this occurs in under 50% of patients. Symptoms can mimic those of other diseases. Diagnosis based on tests alone is not reliable – a negative result does not mean that the disease is not present. ![]() Laboratory testing may in some cases support this clinical diagnosis. ![]() Lyme disease should be diagnosed by a physical examination and medical history. Some people experience irregularities of the heart rhythm. numbness, meningitis (with fever, stiff neck and severe headache), Bell’s palsy (paralysis of the facial muscles) and memory problems. Later stage symptoms include arthritis in the large joints, which can recur over many years. If early symptoms are not recognised, serious complications can develop weeks, months, or even years later. It is generally a circular rash that may clear in the centre, resulting in a "Bull's eye" appearance. ![]() A characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans may appear. They may include tiredness, chills, fever, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, swollen lymph glands and blurred vision. Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Information taken from the LDA (Lyme Disease Action) website 1. Home > Environment > Factsheets > Lyme Disease Lyme Disease
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