Lyme disease

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is transmitted through ticks that live on deer, mice and wood rats. The ticks commonly fall of the animal, into grasses in fields, where they can be picked up by the next unsuspecting victim. A tick waits a couple of hours after biting, before it feeds on a host’s blood. As the tick feeds it can deposit its infectious bacterium into the bloodstream of the host. As tick bites are painless and the incubation period long, misdiagnosis of Lyme disease is common.

Symptoms: red lesion on skin that gradually increases in a circular pattern, muscle ache, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, headache, nausea, stiff neck and vomiting. The disease then follows a standard progression: (i) 3 days to 3 weeks after the bite: raised bumps on the torso, sore throat, fever and nausea (ii) weeks to months later: facial paralysis, enlargement of heart muscle, spleen and lymph nodes and severe headaches (iii) persistent back and joint pain and degeneration of muscles.

Who to consult: If a person suspects that they have a tick bite, it is important to seek medical assistance as soon as possible. Other practitioners that may be of assistance are: dietician, GP, herbalist, homoeopath, naturopath.