In 2019, over 20 people fell ill with Lyme disease in Poland. people. Even 10 years ago, there were about 4 annually. cases of this disease. Most cases are in the province. Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Podlaskie, Lubelskie, Małopolskie, Opolskie – these are the regions where the greatest number of ticks transmitting the bacteria causing Lyme disease. What should you know about this disease? Here are the most common questions about Lyme disease.
Frequently asked questions about Lyme disease
Does Migrating Erythema give us a clear diagnosis of Lyme disease?
Yes. In other diseases, erythema migrans does not occur.
Even with successful treatment, can Lyme disease test results remain positive for many years?
Yes. However, they do not prove that the disease has passed into a latent, persistent or recurrent phase, because such opinions persist. They show that the body has been in contact with the bacteria and has produced antibodies, as is the case with many infectious diseases.
If, after curing Lyme disease, I have no symptoms, but the test results are still positive, do I need to “heal” with another course of antibiotics?
Not. According to the guidelines and the latest knowledge, the effectiveness of treatment is not monitored solely on the basis of antibodies. The clinical signs are also taken into account.
Is it true that many of the spirochete antigens found in the tests are also present in other microbes?
Yes. For example, syphilis spirochetes can often falsify tests and give positive results for Lyme disease.
- Infiltration at the site of the tick bite. What is Lyme Lyme disease?
Is it possible today, on the basis of tests, to 100 percent? to distinguish an active infection from an infection in the past?
Unfortunately, this is not possible.
Can Lyme disease spirochetes become resistant to the antibiotics used?
Not. Unlike many other bacteria, such as staphylococcus and klebsiella, which develop antibiotic resistance (one of the greatest threats of modern medicine), Lyme spirochetes are not becoming more resistant to antibiotics. Lyme disease is treated basically the same today as it was a decade ago.
- Mosquitoes and ticks hate this smell. It is also effective against fleas and animals
Does Lyme disease give immunity? in other words, is it possible to fall ill again in life?
Yes you can. Overwhelming does not give any immunity, further infections are possible. Therefore, after each puncture by the tick, the puncture site should be monitored, even if you have already had a migrant erythema in the history.
Can ticks carry the Lyme bacteria and the tick-borne encephalitis virus at the same time? Can you get infected with both?
You’d be extremely unlucky, but theoretically it is possible.
Can you get Lyme disease during blood transfusions?
It is theoretically possible. However, no cases of infection during transfusions have been reported.
- Which remedies best protect against ticks? What to spray children and animals with
How do I know if the tick that stung me was infected?
The most famous symptom of infection after a tick bite is the circular erythema that appears around the bite site (migratory erythema). This is a typical sign that you’ve been infected with Borrelia spirochetes. It does not occur in the case of TBE infection. In addition, there are also general symptoms that indicate infection: Patients complain of flu-like symptoms such as drowsiness, fever, headache, and difficulty concentrating.
When are ticks dangerous during the year?
Ticks are active from a temperature of 7 ° C. In Poland, the “main tick season” usually begins in spring and ends in late autumn. However, in years when winters are milder, this season can start in January and last until December, which is all year round.
Which parts of the body are prone to tick bites?
Ticks like soft, thinner and well-blooded areas of the skin. They can be found anywhere on the body, however they especially like two points that are exposed to a tick bite.
- «Lyme disease has hidden in my body. Research does not show it, but I am ill »
A tick pricked me. Should I see a doctor?
Yes, if you have flu-like symptoms like sleepiness, fever or headache. See your doctor immediately when you notice a circle-shaped erythema around the injection site. This could mean that you have been infected with Borrelia spirochetes. Be careful! It may take three weeks or more for symptoms of the infection to become noticeable. For this reason, you need to be mindful of the possibility of symptoms for a long time to come.
- Mosquito, tick, spider – what to do when it bites? Quick reaction is what counts!
What should I do if the tick’s head remains in the body after trying to remove it?
There is no reason to sound the alarm. Often, when removing a tick, it happens that a small part of its body remains in the skin. In this case it is not really the head but part of the sting. This small foreign body is normally removed naturally by the body after a few days.
The fragment comes from the book “Lyme disease”.
Also read:
- Imaginary Lyme disease – what is it?
- Tick bite – what to do?
- We still know too little about TBE
- The most dangerous tick-borne diseases. What can you get infected in Polish plein-airs? What are the symptoms?