If you’re active and enjoy hiking or walking in nature, there’s a chance you’ve encountered a tick once or twice. Ticks you find crawling on your skin aren’t usually a threat — but if they dig into your skin, you’re at risk for Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that affects people who live in the Northeastern area of the country and states in the North Midwest. It’s a scary disease that can cause lifelong symptoms if you don’t seek treatment immediately.
Finding a tick embedded in your skin is the first sign of concern. If you find one, it’s essential to call the Regenerative Medical Group to schedule a consultation.
At your appointment, Dr. Bryn J. Henderson or Dr. John S. Farag will evaluate the tick bite and order the proper blood tests to determine if you have Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a form of bacteria that’s present in rodents like mice and animals like deer. When a deer tick attaches to these animals, it picks up the bacteria and carries it around.
When a tick that has Lyme bacteria buries into the skin of a human, it can pass the bacteria, causing Lyme disease. The tricky part is deer ticks are incredibly tiny, about the size of a sesame seed as adults.
Most people don’t even know they have a tick on them, which makes Lyme disease even more devastating. The symptoms may appear in the weeks to months following a tick bite, and they include:
If someone doesn’t see a rash, or they don’t get a rash, the disease may go unnoticed for weeks to months. Meningitis and facial paralysis are symptoms that may pop up later with Lyme disease.
Arthritis-like symptoms are also familiar with Lyme disease, causing pain, swelling, and tenderness around the large joints of the body.
Although Lyme disease may seem scary, most people clear it independently, even without treatment. The human body recognizes the Lyme bacteria and fights it off, which is why some people have flu-like symptoms in the days to weeks after a tick bite.
You can still have Lyme disease even if you don’t notice a bullseye rash. However, even if you don’t discover the tick, you can clear Lyme disease alone.
It’s crucial to seek treatment if you notice a tick in your skin or a rash that appears in a circle, as these are risk factors for Lyme disease.
The disease goes away in many people without treatment, but that’s not always the case. Some people may have no signs until the condition is in the later stages, possibly causing long-term complications.
To avoid Lyme disease, wear protective clothing when in the woods or high weeds, and wear protective tick spray on your clothing. While not foolproof, taking these steps could help you prevent Lyme disease.
After you come in from being outside, be sure to check yourself and anyone else who was with you for ticks. You can even remove your clothes, throw them directly into the wash, and shower to ensure you don’t miss any.
However, if you find a tick embedded in your skin, our team can help. Even if you don’t see a rash, the best thing to do is make an appointment for an evaluation.
Our team looks at the tick bite and removes the tick if you haven’t already done so. They can then send you for bloodwork to check for Lyme disease.
If you do have Lyme disease, you don’t have to panic. Finding the tick early on and testing for the disease means it’s very treatable. In the early stages, we treat Lyme disease with antibiotics.
We typically recommend a two to four-week course of antibiotics to ensure your body eliminates the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Most people do very well with antibiotic treatment and don’t have any other symptoms.
If you’re living with Lyme disease and want to explore your treatment options, don’t hesitate to call the Regenerative Medical Group today or request a consultation on the website.
