What is Lyme disease, its symptoms, treatment and photo

Borreliosis or Lyme disease is an infectious disease that is spread in a certain area where pathogenic microorganisms live, it is transmitted through the bites of ixodid ticks. How this disease goes, the symptoms and treatment of Lyme disease, complications and treatment methods depend on the immune system of the victim and the time of seeking medical help.

Discovery story

The medical name for this disease is systemic tick-borne borreliosis, less commonly it is called erythema spirochetosis, meningopolineuritis, etc.

Important!

The main difference of the disease is its transmission method the only way: through the bite of an ixodid tick. Infection from a sick person to other people is not transmitted, which makes it absolutely safe for family and others.

The official name was given after its spirochete type agent, Borrelia burgdorferi. And such a name as Lyme disease became known in international medicine after a strong outbreak of infection was recorded in 1975 among the inhabitants of Lyme in pc. Connecticut (USA). After a study by scientists conducted in children with juvenile arthritis, the symptoms were first described and pathogenic organisms sowed that caused the disease.

Pathogens and carriers

The causative agents of borreliosis are 3 types of borrelia (Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii) - small pathogenic microorganisms no larger than 20 microns in size, similar to a twisted spiral and related to spirochetes. In nature, the carriers of bacteria are wild and domestic animals: deer, cows, sheep, horses, goats, rodents, birds, etc.

In European countries, Lyme disease types of ticks: Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcarus, and in the USA and Canada - Ixodes dammini.

On a note!

When a parasite bites an infected animal, then Borrelia gets into its body, from which it becomes a lifelong carrier of the disease. And myself mite she does not get sick. After he bites his victim, along with saliva, Borrelia is injected into the body, which enters the circulatory system and infects a person.

The spread of borreliosis

Lyme disease is common only in the Northern Hemisphere, where there are mixed deciduous forests and ticks live. The foci of infection are recorded in the USA and Canada, some countries of Western and Eastern Europe. Outbreaks of Lyme disease are also observed in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

In some countries where there are natural foci of borreliosis, nearly 90% of the ticks that spread this infection are infected. Moreover, parasites become carriers for life, and female ticks transmit spirochetes even to their larvae, which from the moment of birth become able to spread borrelia.

On a note!

The most dangerous period for people who may become infected after tick biteaccounts for the warmer months of the year: from May to September, the period of maximum activity of parasites.

Stages of the disease

After a tick bite and penetration of borrelia under human skin, they enter the nearby lymph nodes, where they actively multiply.After a few days, the bacteria pass into the bloodstream and are carried by vessels throughout the body. At the same time, they continue to multiply, gradually affecting the nervous, cardiovascular systems, joints and muscles.

On a note!

The reaction of the victim’s immune system is usually acute: antibodies are produced, but they cannot completely eradicate the infection. Most often, borreliosis disease becomes chronic, in which the patient's condition gradually worsens due to an increase in the autoimmune process and a constant release of toxic substances.

The incubation period, i.e. the time until the first negative symptoms appear, is from 3 to 32 days. Most often, the disease manifests itself 1-2 weeks after a tick bite.

Tick-borne borreliosis (ICD code 10-A69.20) proceeds in 3 stages:

1. Reproduction of Borrelia under the skin and in the lymph nodes, its duration is up to 40 days.
2. The phase of the active spread of pathogenic bacteria throughout the circulatory system throughout the human body, which lasts 5-6 months.
3. Chronic borreliosis, in which damage to the nervous, musculoskeletal or cardiovascular systems occurs, lasts several years.

At each stage, certain symptoms manifest themselves, according to which specialists can clearly diagnose the disease.

Symptoms of Borreliosis

The general and specific manifestations of a stage 1 disease are as follows:

• headache, temperature rises to + 38 ° C, chills;
• migratory pains and aches in joints and muscles;
• nausea, vomiting;
• soreness and enlargement in the lymph nodes;
• the appearance of a ring-shaped erythema at the site of the bite, which is a specific symptom and can detect Lyme disease at the very beginning;
• rash with borreliosis throughout the body, conjunctivitis is rarely possible;
• sore throat, cough, runny nose.

Doctors identify erythema in borreliosis in 70% of cases. It is characterized by the formation at the site of the tick bite of a red seal - papules. It gradually expands in diameter and takes the form of a brightly defined ring, raised above the skin. The center becomes paler, and the rim acquires a rich red color. The zone of erythema with tick-borne borreliosis (photo below) can reach from 10 to 60 cm. Occasionally, several red rims are visible.

In very rare cases, the disease is asymptomatic, that is, without the appearance of erythema and other signs. Often an infected person does not feel any discomfort due to the appearance of erythema, but sometimes it can hurt, bake or itch. It is also possible the appearance of secondary red rings in areas where there were no tick bites.

Erythema can persist on the patient’s skin for a rather long time, on average 30 days, occasionally it disappears in a few days. In some patients, the rings are visible on the body, even after a few months. After disappearance, pigmentation, dryness and peeling remain on the skin.

Important!

If a sick person did not pay attention to the initial negative symptoms of Lyme disease after a tick bite in time, then they can pass even without the use of medications. However, then the disease goes into the 2nd stage, more severe, in which the health hazard increases.

Stage 2: symptoms and treatment

At the next stage of ixodic tick-borne borreliosis, a defeat of the main body systems of a sick person occurs.

Typical syndromes of damage to the nervous system:

• signs of serous meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain), which are characterized by: headaches, photophobia, tension of the occipital muscles, fatigue, high sensitivity to certain irritants, insomnia, impaired memory and attention, emotional disorders;
• nerve damage occurs in the cranial region: facial paralysis of the facial muscles, impaired hearing, vision, development of strabismus or disturbances in eye movement;
• radiculopathy or damage to the roots of the spinal nerves, which is clinically manifested in the "backache" of pain in the lumbar region or extremities, muscle weakness gradually develops, tendon reflexes are disturbed.

Important!

10% of patients with borreliosis have speech disturbances, instability during movement, tremor of the extremities, epidemic attacks, difficulty swallowing.

Borreliosis is manifested by complications in other important systems of the patient’s body with certain symptoms:

• joint damage, which manifests itself in recurring arthritis in the knee, elbow, hip or ankle region, which leads to pain and reduced joint mobility;
• penetration of borrelia into the cardiovascular system is manifested in the onset of symptoms of myocarditis, pericarditis: heart failure, frequent palpitations, shortness of breath, chest and chest pains;
• signs of skin damage: a rash similar to urticaria, secondary ring erythema, lymphocytomas - bright red nodules from 3 mm to 5 cm in size that rise above the skin surface, they can appear on the earlobe, in the groin or on the nipples of the chest.

Stage 3: chronic

The last stage of borreliosis develops a few months after the first signs of the disease. It is characterized by the development of chronic Lyme disease, in which there is a defeat of one of the main systems of the patient's body.

Typical symptoms and effects of borreliosis:

• chronic arthritis: damage to small and large joints, expressed in their gradual deformation and the development of osteoporosis;
• atrophic acrodermatitis: the appearance of blue-red spots on the skin in the area of ​​the knees, elbows, inner side of the hands, soles, compaction, and then atrophy and thinning; benign lymphadenosis of the skin;
• diseases of the nervous system: encephalopathy, polyneuropathy and encephalomyelitis, which are manifested in the development of paresis, changes in sensitivity, coordination, impaired mental activity (memory, thinking, intellectual abilities), epilepsy attacks, hearing or vision impairment, general lethargy, depression.

Important!

With incorrect diagnosis, the absence of treatment, borreliosis is dangerous precisely because of its severe complications that remain with a person for life and often lead to disability. Therefore, it is so important to pay attention to your own well-being after an accidental tick bite and seek medical help on time.

Diagnosis of Borreliosis

If Lyme disease is suspected, in addition to a general examination of the patient, specialists identify erythema and other specific signs of the disease. If they are detected, clinical studies of blood and tissues are performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Occasionally, there are no external signs of the disease, and laboratory diagnosis is the only reliable way to confirm the presence of the disease.

Borrelia is difficult to detect in a patient, therefore, indirect methods are used, the effectiveness of which reaches 50%.

Main laboratory Lyme disease identification methods:

• hemotest for borreliosis: blood tests for infection, performed 7-10 days after a tick bite;
• blood borrelia DNA search is done by polymerase chain reaction;
• immunochip for borreliosis - a study of blood serum using a diagnostic test system, which was developed in the Russian Central Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology, allows you to determine antibodies in the blood to 8 groups of borrelia antigens that are common in the Russian Federation.

On a note!

To clarify the severity of lesions of various organs of the patient, X-ray and ultrasound studies, ECG and EEG, joint puncture and skin biopsy are used.All patients with borreliosis undergo quarterly examinations for a period of up to 2 years.

Lyme Disease Treatment

Upon confirmation of the diagnosis, patients undergo inpatient treatment in the infectious diseases department of the hospital. In some mild cases, it is permissible to cure borreliosis at home, but only under the constant supervision of specialists.

The effectiveness of treatment depends on the stage of the disease: in the initial period, it is higher. Outpatient treatment can be prescribed when confirming that there is no mixed infection, i.e. there is no infection with the encephalitis virus. When treating this ailment, it is recommended to follow a sparing diet, to refrain from alcohol.

Drug treatment of borreliosis is carried out in 2 directions:

• etiotropic, including the effect on the pathogen itself, which is carried out using a course of antibiotics;
• symptomatic - therapy of affected organs and systems with the help of anti-inflammatory, detoxification, antihistamines, cardio- and general strengthening medicines, complex vitamins.

At the 1st stage, the doctor prescribes antibiotics in tablets from borreliosis for 10-14 days:

• Tetracycline (price 50-60 rubles);
• Doxycycline (about 30 rubles);
• Amoxycycline (80-90 rubles);
• Cefuroxime (about 100 rubles).

The prescribed dosage must be adhered to strictly, it is absolutely impossible to reduce the course due to the possible survival of some borrelia. At this stage, the prognosis of cure is favorable: in most cases, an adequate treatment leads to a complete recovery.

At the 2nd stage antibiotic treatment of borreliosis It is carried out already through intravenous injection of Penicillin, Ceftriaxone. The duration of therapy is 2-3 weeks. The likelihood that the patient will be completely cured of Lyme tick-borne disease is 85-90%.

At the 3rd stage, Lyme disease has been treated with antibiotics for 28 days using penicillin preparations. The most commonly prescribed prolonged form of the drug is Extensillin, which replaces the 8-fold frequency of taking the antibiotic per day.

Important!

Pathogenic Borrelia bacteria remain in the lymphatic system of an ill person for 10 years. You should also know that immunity after borreliosis is not produced, therefore, re-infection is possible, even after 5-7 years after recovery.

Lyme disease in children

Unlike the course of borreliosis disease in adults, in most cases children are characterized by damage to the nervous system and the appearance of symptoms of meningitis. Kids under 7 years old are practically not sick, but symptoms of borreliosis in children older age, clinical signs and manifestations of the disease are similar to the above.

After recovery, small patients may remain negative reactions in the form of sleep disorders, unstable mood and increased nervous excitability. All these unpleasant consequences of borreliosis after some time pass.

Alternative methods of treatment

With drug treatment of Lyme disease, it is recommended that you follow a special diet and take products that normalize the intestinal microflora. To eliminate toxins, you should drink plenty of water, fresh juices, green and oolong tea.

Additionally, you can use folk remedies that help improve the patient's condition:

• White pharmaceutical clay helps to remove toxins, which must be drunk for six months in the form of a drink: 1 tsp in a glass of water, put overnight, and mix and drink on an empty stomach in the morning.
• Seaweed powder helps to cleanse the blood and lymph: 1 packet for 10 days in the evening, a break of 10 days and repeat for up to 5 months.
• Herbal decoctions and infusions of nettle, horsetail, wormwood, immortelle, cucumber grass, calendula, linden flowers, mountain ash, rose hips are prepared from 1 tbsp of grass per 0.5 l of boiling water, drink for 15 minutes. before meals, 250 ml.The treatment is long, plant species alternate monthly for several years;
• For the treatment of erythema, it is recommended to make compresses from herbs.
• Lubricate the site of the tick bite with celandine juice, plantain, walnut oil.

Important!

Throughout the course of treatment for Lyme disease, alcohol, coffee, sugary foods, and nutritional supplements are contraindicated due to a strong increase in the load on the liver and provoking the growth of bacteria.

Lyme Disease Prevention

The only preventative measures are methods to prevent ticks from entering the human body, Borreliosis vaccinations not. When visiting the forest, going on a picnic or nature, it is recommended to wear the most closed clothing, apply parasite repellents.

If arachnid sticks to the skin, it is recommended after tick removal put it in a glass bowl. Then take it to the laboratory, where you can to make a tick test for borreliosisto determine the likelihood of human infection.

If infection is suspected, it is recommended to prevent antibiotic therapy of 2 drugs:

• Doxycycline - take 100 mg daily for 5 days;
• Ceftriaxone - 100 mg 1 p. 3 days a day.

Taking such drugs, according to reviews of patients with borreliosis, will help prevent Lyme disease in 80-95% of cases after a tick bite.