Can Lyme Disease Be Cured?

People living in northeast and upper mid-west America always have a fear about Lyme disease at the back of their minds. This is because the disease is transmitted to humans by tick bites. These ticks are found living on their natural hosts: the deer and white-footed mice.

The deer tick bite passes on the bacteria called the Borrelia burgdorferi into the blood of the host, like humans. The bacteria then establishes itself into the various body tissues leading to a number of unpleasant symptoms. It leads to a multisystem inflammatory disease.

Following are the stage-wise treatments of this condition:

The condition can be cured only if you take appropriate antibiotics during the early stage. Many patients are given oral antibiotics as a standard early-stage treatment. In case of children over 8 years of age and adults, doxycycline is the choice of antibiotic.

Amoxicillin or cefuroxime is prescribed for younger children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. These antibiotics help prevent the spread of the infection. The course of the antibiotics is about 14 to 21 days long.

There are a few patients who tend to experience the symptoms of the condition even after receiving the antibiotic treatment. These patients are said to be affected by chronic Lyme disease. They experience symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, cognitive difficulty, etc.

This chronic condition can be treated to some extent with the help of intravenous antibiotics for up to 28 days. If the symptoms like arthritis persist, then the antibiotic course is extended for about 2 to 4 weeks. Although long-term antibiotic treatment is not recommended, in some cases, it is carried out to alleviate the symptoms.

The late-stage disease occurs after about 3 months to one year of the initial infection. These patients experience initial-stage symptoms like Lyme arthritis, fluid-filled joints, headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, mood swings, memory problems, etc. This condition can also be cured to some extent.

The treatment involves 2 weeks intravenous antibiotic therapy and in some cases, the therapy goes on for more than a year.

Thus, Lyme disease is curable, only if it is treated as early as possible. Late diagnosis can complicate things and lead to failure of antibiotic treatment. The earlier you seek treatment the better. In many cases, patients with short-term antibiotic treatment are cured of the disease.

In some cases, patients continue to have problems for life. If you live in tick-prone areas, make sure you follow some precautionary measures as follows:

• Always wear enclosed shoes and light-colored clothes as it will help spot a tick easily.
• When you are outdoors, make sure you scan your body and clothes for any sign of tick.

• As far as possible, always walk on cleared trails.
• Do not sit on the ground, grass, or stone wall directly as it will bring you close to ticks which can jump on to your body.
• If you have long hair, keep them tied back, especially when traveling in a wooded area or while gardening.

• Use effective insect repellant on your body and clothes to keep ticks away when moving outdoors.

Although the disease rarely causes life-threatening symptoms, early detection and prompt treatment will prevent the disease from turning into a chronic condition.

The disease can be cured, but one may experience some of its effects for a long time. Speak to your doctor about the treatment and its duration for more details.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.