Lyme Disease Health Video

Video Transcript

SUSAN MCGLADERRY, BM, BCH, MRCP: Hello. My name is Dr. Sue McGladerry. I'm the medical director from the FirstMed Centers in Budapest Hungary. I would like to give you a little bit of information about Lyme disease. This is an inflammatory disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Certain ticks carry this bacteria. The ticks pick up the bacteria when they bite mice or dead that were infected with Lyme disease. You get the disease if you're bitten by an infected tick. Lyme disease is usually seen during the late spring, summer, and early fall. The risk factors for acquiring Lyme disease include walking in high grasses and having a pet that may carry ticks home. What sort of symptoms do you get if you have Lyme disease? Not everyone infected with the bacteria gets ill. First symptoms often resemble a flu with symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, and lethargy. There maybe a bull's eye rash, which is a flat or raised red spot at the site of the tick bites. You should be aware that the ticks can be so small that they're almost impossible to see with the naked eye and many people with Lyme disease never even saw a tick on their skin. You should call your doctor if you have symptoms that may be due to Lyme disease, even if you don't have any recollection of having a tick bite. How is Lyme disease diagnosed? A physical exam may show the classical rash. There may be signs of problems of the joints, the heart or the brain in persons who have advanced Lyme disease. A blood test can be done to check for antibodies to the bacteria. What should you do if you're diagnosed with Lyme disease? There are antibiotics that are used to treat Lyme disease and are generally very effective if they're given early. Also anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen can be very helpful for the joint pain. If diagnosed in the early stages, Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics. Without treatment, Lyme disease becomes much more serious and there may be complications involving the heart and the nervous system. What can you do to prevent Lyme disease? Unfortunately there is no vaccine for lyme disease but you can cover up to prevent tick bites when you go outdoors and wear long pants tucked into socks and light colored long sleeved shirts. You should also check yourself and your pets frequently and if you find any ticks you need to remove them carefully to prevent transmitting infection by the time that you remove the tick.