Tick-borne borreliosis symptoms, consequences and prevention in adults

One of the serious infectious diseases is tick-borne borreliosis. Its pathogens are motile microorganisms with a spiral shape, which are called spirochetes. Their cilia make it easy to move around. Tick-borne borreliosis is transmitted through the bite of parasites. They are able to live in various climatic conditions. For humans and animals, these parasites are extremely dangerous, as they are the causative agents of many diseases.

A bit of history

Borreliosis tick, as it is often called, a pathogen Lyme disease. The disease was first registered in the seventies of the last century in the American city of Lyme, where the name came from. Tick ​​borreliosis was later found in other European countries, including Russia. Every year in the country about 8 thousand cases of this disease are recorded.

On a note!

It is impossible to get borreliosis without a tick bite, which is scientifically proven. Some doctors believe that the disease is sexually transmitted due to the fact that sperm contains Borrelia through the blood of a donor and unpasteurized milk of an infected animal. All of these assumptions are in question. If there is such a chance of infection, then it is negligible.

Disease classification

The causative agent of borreliosis penetrates the cells and can be there, without showing itself in anything, for a long period (up to 10 years) in the so-called “sleeping state”. This leads to chronic borreliosis. For others, the patient is not dangerous and can not infect other people. The disease is classified according to various signs. Its form is:

• Latent. A laboratory analysis shows the absence of symptoms.
• Manifest. The patient has a rapid development of infection.

The course of the disease can take an acute form, which is divided into the following types:

• Erythema. If a borreliosis tick has bitten, redness is observed in this area, which increases in size over time.
• Erythema-free. There is no redness at the site of the bite. Damage to the nervous and cardiovascular system, joints.

On a note!

The acute course of borreliosis from a tick bite lasts for 3 months, and the subacute from 3 to 6.

The chronic form of the course is of two types:

• Continuous.
• Recurrent. There is a repeated disease in which damage to the skin, heart, joints, and nervous system occurs.

According to the severity of borreliosis, 4 forms are distinguished:

• light;
• moderate severity;
• heavy
• extremely difficult.

Important!

Tick ​​borreliosis occurs when a parasite injects its saliva into the bloodstream of the human body. Himself mite becomes a carrier of the disease as a result of the bite of domestic animals that are the owners of dangerous microorganisms. Borrelia penetrates his body, he becomes a carrier of infection for life, but he does not get sick.

Causes of the disease

The nature of Lyme disease is natural focal. The cause of the disease There are 3 types of borelles:

• burgdorferi;
• garinii;
• afzelii.

They are microscopic microorganisms whose length is from 11 to 25 microns. The first signs of borreliosis after a tick bite in a person begin to appear in 1-2 weeks. Incidence is detected on all continents. The only exceptions are the Arctic and Antarctic. The hosts of the pathogen can be a variety of animals: sheep, dogs, rodents, cattle. They do not represent a danger to humans, unlike an infected tick that passes the infection to the next generation. Most often them habitat are temperate regions, especially in areas with many mixed forests. In Russia, these are the central regions, Western Siberia and the Urals. Tick ​​activity observed with the advent of spring.

Important!

A bite of a borreliosis tick can cause 2 types of diseases: borroleosis and encephalitis. These are different diseases, they differ in the incubation period, symptoms, treatment. Tick ​​activity continues until October. At this time, they can bite any person, regardless of age. The hardest borleleosis is carried by people of advanced age and children. The probability of getting sick increases when you visit parks and forest areas.

Stages and symptoms of the disease

For a person, the development of the disease can go unnoticed, especially if he did not feel tick bite. There are 3 stages of the disease for which certain symptoms and consequences of tick-borne borreliosis are characteristic.

I stage

It is characterized by local and general manifestations. They are reversible, the duration is from 30 to 40 days. The first signs begin to appear 3 days after a tick bite. Some people (6-8% of the total number of sick patients) do not experience any symptom at all - a hidden course of the disease. Most people in the bite area appear redness in the form of a spot, which increases in size every day. Most often, spots appear on the legs, chest, shoulders, neck, and inguinal region. Sometimes there is a kind of “creep” of spots throughout the body, they are not attached to the place of the bite. Symptoms of Lyme disease at this stage manifest as:

• headache;
• Dizziness
• general malaise, which manifests itself in weakness, chills.
• nausea and vomiting (in rare cases);
• pain and tension in the neck muscles and joints;
• photophobia.

Some patients have specific symptoms in the form of a runny nose, coughing, and sore throat.

Important!

In a certain part of people, the manifestation of the disease after a tick bite can manifest itself only in the form of spots. If you do not take measures and do not treat borreliosis in time, it can develop into other stages. Most infected people with proper treatment recover and gain immunity for 5 years.

II stage

Infection at this stage spreads throughout the body, it lasts about three months. The disease is chronic. Borrelia penetrate deep into the tissues and cells of the body, there is a defeat of the brain and spinal cord, joints, heart, eye retina. This stage is characterized by a severe course of the disease. Symptoms of borreliosis after a bite are manifested in the following:

• damage to the nervous system is observed, the heart suffers, brain activity is disturbed;
• there is a severe headache of a pulsating nature, painful sensations appear in the back, memory is disturbed, sleep, symptoms of facial paralysis appear;
• 10% of patients experience heart failure, shortness of breath, stiffness of movements, pain behind the sternum, an uncharacteristic heartbeat, and diseases such as pericarditis and myocarditis.

To prevent the further development of the disease, it is necessary to carry out appropriate treatment of tick-borne borreliosis, the disease can drag on for several months, sometimes up to two years.

III stage

At this stage, borreliosis becomes acute. It manifests itself in the form of chronic arthritis, atrophic acrodermatitis (severe damage to the skin), disorders of the nervous system (encephalopathy, polyneuropathy, encephalomyelitis). Most often, the disease is reflected in any one system.

Important!

At this stage, a person needs a long antibiotic treatment. The consequences in adults can be very different. Recovery is not always possible. Not everyone can tolerate this stage of the disease. A large number of patients are doomed to relapse. This leads to disability and job loss. Rarely, but fatal.

How to treat borreliosis

Prevention of borreliosis in the form of vaccinations not carried out. In relation to the patient, who was bitten by a tick, constant monitoring is carried out. If a virus is detected in a person’s blood, the doctor immediately prescribes the necessary therapeutic treatment with antibiotics, supplementing the course with vitamins.

Any disease, including ixodic tick-borne borreliosis, is treated with an examination by a doctor who must correctly diagnose. He examines the patient’s body for red spots, writes a direction to analyzesappoints a consultation with an infectious disease specialist and a dermatologist. A clinical blood test will help identify specific antibodies to the causative agent of the disease. It is recommended to do it twice, with an interval of 2-3 weeks, for a clearer picture of the disease.

Medicines are prescribed by the attending physician. He also paints the dosage regimen and dosage of drugs, taking into account the stage of the disease, its reaction to the body.

Important!

In no case should you self-medicate, as the risk of an unfavorable course of the disease may increase.

A good effect at the initial stage is given by the drug - Tetracycline. It is taken at 500 mg 4 times a day. It is sold in pharmacies, the cost of the drug is acceptable, on average it is 120 rubles.

In the acute stage, general-purpose drugs are prescribed. These include:

• Cefuroxime;
• Doxycycline;
• Amoxicillin;
• Azithromycin and others

Often Lyme disease involves taking various drugs. Their combination gives the best effect. Also, when prescribing, the doctor takes into account the presence of different types of symptom. So with neurological manifestations, such drugs have proven themselves well:

• Doxycycline. It should be taken 2 times a day.
• Ceftriaxone. This medicine is administered intravenously at 2000 mg once a day.
• Chloramphenicol. It is taken orally or administered intravenously 4 times a day, 500 mg each.

The course of treatment of any of them is designed for 14-28 days.

Important!

If a person has applied within five days after a tick bite, therapy is carried out to prevent the development of the disease if borreliosis is found in the tick. It is understood that the parasite was brought with it to the clinic and at tick examination Borrelia showed up. Timely therapy helps to avoid serious pathologies and complications.

Folk remedies

If a person is diagnosed with Lyme disease, he must adhere to a proper diet. The diet should include products that normalize the digestive tract. In the morning and evening, it is recommended to use real yogurt or kefir, due to which toxins are eliminated from the body. You need to drink juices (independently prepared from fresh fruits and vegetables) and purified water. When symptoms of a neurological appearance are manifested, chicken meat and fatty fish should be eaten. For dressing salads, it is advisable to use pumpkin and linseed oil.

Such folk remedies will help in the treatment:

• White clay. It is sold in pharmacies. You need to drink it for six months, after which you can take a break. In 250 ml of pure water, 1 tsp. clay, left overnight and in the morning before eating drink settled water.Such a drink removes toxins from the body.
• Powdered seaweed. One sachet is taken within 10 days, then a break of 10 days is taken. And so it should be taken within 5 months. This tool cleans lymph, blood and gastrointestinal tract well.
• Infusions of tansy, wormwood, nettle, rose hip, calendula, linden flowers, hawthorn. From these plants infusions and decoctions are made and applied to stains. They pass faster and do not itch.

Emergency prevention is to processing tick bite sites. For this purpose, iodine, brilliant green and celandine juice are used. Well helps walnut oil, plantain juice. Going for a walk in the park or forest, you must have one of the listed funds in the medicine cabinet.

Lyme disease in children

Preschool children have virtually no borreliosis. The consequences for a child after a tick bite can be unpredictable. The main danger lies in the development of meningitis. After the course of treatment, residual reactions in the form of increased excitability, unstable mood, and sleep disorders can occur in children. After a certain period of time, they completely pass. Symptoms of Borreliosis in children and the course of the disease is the same as in adults. If the child was bitten by a tick infected with borreliosis, and the first signs of the disease began to appear: the general condition worsened, redness appeared at the site of the tick bite - you should immediately consult a doctor.

If you do not start treatment on time, borreliosis will begin to progress, more serious symptoms will appear that will have a negative effect on the internal organs. If a tick is detected, it should be removed immediately. Tweezers are suitable for this purpose. After tick extraction the wound should be treated with an antiseptic. If in her left part of the tick, it should not be squeezed out, she herself will come out. The parasite itself should be closed in a jar and taken to the study.

Feedback

I went from the country on an electric train. A neighbor found a tick. I always have a cosmetic bag with me and it has tweezers. Helped her get rid of the parasite.

Olga, Irkutsk

Prevention

As such, special measures aimed at preventing borreliosis with antibiotics after a tick bite have not been developed. The basic preventive rule is to use individual protection measures. Since ticks live in foliage and grass, it is recommended that you contact as little as possible with similar vegetation. Going for a walk, you should take creams, lotions, which repel parasites and be sure to inspect for the presence of various bloodsuckers and crawling ticks.

Prevention of borreliosis after a tick bite also consists in taking such antibiotics: Doxycycline, Ceftriaxone. The dosage and regimen should be prescribed by a doctor.

Important!

The best prevention after a tick bite will be timely appeal to a medical institution.