Neurological symptoms of Lyme disease. They can appear several years after the bite

Lyme disease, or Borrelia spirochete infection, is one of the most common tick-borne diseases. It occurs with the transfer of saliva or vomit from an infected tick under the human skin. Untreated Lyme disease often produces neurological symptoms that are inconclusive and easy to classify immediately. What symptoms are we talking about? See how to quickly recognize this tick-borne disease and how to treat it.

1. Neurological symptoms of Lyme disease may appear up to several years after the tick episode, which does not mean that the body has not suffered any serious damage before.
2. The most common symptoms are headache, mouth corner drooping, facial tingling and muscle aches.
3. Neuroborreliosis is diagnosed after performing neurological, neuroimaging and electrophysiological tests, supplemented with a medical history
4. Treatment is based on antibiotic therapy, usually lasting one month. Untreated neurological symptoms of Lyme disease can turn into serious diseases of the nervous system, even resulting in meningitis (ZOMR)
5. In order to protect yourself against this tick-borne disease, you should take care of appropriate prophylaxis (including the use of insecticide sprays and preparations and wearing adequate clothing that covers the body) and verify that no arachnid bites have occurred after longer walks.
6. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

Lyme disease, also called Lyme disease or tick-borne disease, is considered to be one of the most commonly diagnosed tick-borne diseases. The number of cases in Poland is really high – every year, it is diagnosed in 9-10 thousand. Poles, usually at the turn of spring and summer, even until autumn.

Lyme disease is the result of the bite of an infected arachnid, which, together with its saliva or vomit, releases Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria (Borrelia spirochetes), which are the cause of Lyme disease. The disease develops slowly, most often with symptoms that can easily be confused with many other conditions. In addition to neurological damage, it can also cause joint, digestive and circulatory (cardiac) damage. We are talking then about complications after Lyme disease.

What are the first symptoms of Lyme disease?

Not every person bitten by an infected tick has to become ill with Lyme disease. The risk, however, becomes greater when the arachnid goes unnoticed and drenches on the blood of the human host for a long time. Then the organism becomes infected, and after a few weeks the person may notice symptoms such as increased body temperature, general weakness and joint pain, mimicking flu symptoms, and skin changes such as migratory erythema, which changes its location while traveling »On the human body.

After diagnosing the aforementioned conditions, which are the first signs of ticks, see a doctor immediately and start treatment. They are usually for one to a maximum of three months. However, if they are ignored, Lyme disease can affect other areas and organs, affecting the joints, the nervous system, and even causing inflammation of the heart muscle. It is estimated that the neurological symptoms of Lyme disease affect as much as 15-40 percent. people who did not undergo treatment at the diagnosis of the first symptoms of the disease.

Neuroborreliosis – the most common neurological symptoms of Lyme disease

Lyme disease is said to be associated with neurological symptoms. This form is considered to be the second most common form of the disease, after skin symptoms in the form of migratory erythema. Borrelia garinii may also be responsible for the disease outside of Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria damage the nervous system by entering organs, usually through blood vessels. They then adhere to nerve cells, devastating them, and then causing inflammation in the body.

Initially, the neurological symptoms of Lyme disease are limited to a headache, which is often underestimated and explained by exhaustion, overload of duties or stress. Unfortunately, the neglected ailment may be a sign of a dangerous infectious disease – meningitis, which is the most serious consequence of neuroborreliosis.

The specific disease symptoms that indicate Lyme disease depend on the area that has been damaged or destroyed by Borrelia spirochetes. So the neurological symptoms of Lyme disease can start with a mild headache, progress through symptoms that mimic dementia syndrome, and end with encephalomyelitis. Patients are often accompanied by mouth corner drooping, facial tingling and craniofacial pain, being the aftermath of the palsy of the cranial nerve. Sometimes Lyme disease manifests itself through visual field disturbances, delirium, seizures, or an aversion to eating (anorexia).

The possible neurological symptoms of Lyme disease include:

1. cranial neuropathies – pathologies of peripheral nerves,
2. radiculopathies – diseases of the nerve roots,
3. encephalopathies – damage to brain structures,
4. peripheral polyneuropathies – symmetrical damage to many nerves,
5. cognitive disorders – memory problems, unclear thinking, attention and concentration disorders, difficulty recalling the names of objects and events, etc.,
6. mental disorders and symptoms – depressed mood, anxiety, psychosis or dysphoria,
7. inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

Experiencing ailments such as cognitive disorders, persistent vomiting, high fever or speech disorders most often indicate an advanced stage of Lyme disease, often telling about ZORM.

How to diagnose Lyme disease? Necessary examinations and treatment

After recognizing the characteristic neurological symptoms of Lyme disease (and any other, including skin, joint or cardiac complications), you should see a specialist for appropriate diagnosis. The doctor will conduct an in-depth interview, then the patient is referred for diagnostic tests and tests (LTT, Western-Blot, Elisa) and neuroimaging.

In Poland, treatment of Lyme disease usually lasts about a month. It is based on antibiotic therapy, which can take the form of intravenous therapy or taking medications by mouth. In the case of advanced disease, the doctor may decide to administer several different antibiotics at the same time (ILADS method). However, it is a risky method of treating Lyme disease, which puts a heavy burden on the body and the functioning of internal organs.