Today’s topic is about infectious diseases. This topic is so wide spread I do know where to start. It seems like every year some new disease or virus shows up to cause pain and suffering. The hospital and insurance industries sometimes will get bogged down with the amount of patients they receive.
The first infectious disease I will mention is Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that can cause arthritis in some people. This disease can also cause problems in the central nervous system. Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of a deer tick. These ticks are very small about the size of a small pencil tip. You can find these ticks on birds, mice, rats, or any other type rodent found in the woods or your back yard.
Lyme disease is diagnosed by taking a blood test at your doctor’s office or hospital. The disease is treated by antibiotics like penicillin and inflammatory drugs that may be prescribed. Women that are pregnant may require a hospital stay. If you are infected with Lyme disease, you may need rest and some aspirin for pain and flu like symptoms. The time it takes to recover from this disease will vary from patient to patient. You will have flu-like symptoms for about a week and a half. You may also develop a rash.
If you don’t receive treatment in the early stages of this disease, you could develop heart and joint problems. Sometimes Lyme disease can be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis. As you can read Lyme disease can be dangerous, but is rarely fatal. However, a pregnant woman, if infected with this disease, could suffer loss of a fetus.
Here are some ways to avoid Lyme disease. Avoid walking in the woods or in un-kept areas. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and tuck pants into socks. Also wear closed shoes and light-colored fabric so you can see any ticks to brush them off. Use insect repellents containing DEET. If you have pets use tick and flea collars on them. If your pet is an indoor pet, brush them carefully after they have been outdoors. If you live in or near a wooded area where deer ticks are common, keep grass and weeds mowed around the house. Discourage birds or animals that may have ticks from coming near your home. Don’t put out bird feeders that attract birds, squirrels, or other undomesticated animals.
If you are bitten by a tick, remove it immediately by using tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and tug gently. Some symptoms of being bitten are rash at the site, flu-like symptoms, arthritic conditions, neurological conditions, heart conditions and possible miscarriage in pregnant women. This disease can also cause birth defects in an unborn child. I hope the information in this article will help someone avoid Lyme disease.
