Borreliosis (Lyme disease) - treatment and prevention, symptoms

Borreliosis (Lyme disease) - treatment and consequences

Borreliosis is an acute infectious disease characterized by numerous and diverse symptoms. Most often, the disease is a consequence of the bite of the ixodid tick, which is most active in the summer. Moreover, infection can occur not only during an insect bite, but also after it is crushed on the skin.

Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of tick-borne borreliosis in humans (appear primarily at the site of an insect bite or crushing):

• redness of the skin;
• expansion of the spot;
• itching, burning and swelling at the site of infection.

In some cases, there are no dermatological signs, but the symptoms of intoxication of the body are clearly visible - joint pain, severe weakness, nausea that turns into vomiting, dizziness, headache, an increase in lymph nodes (selectively, near the site of infection).

If the signs of borreliosis in children or adults were quickly differentiated and there was a timely request for medical help, then it is possible to achieve a quick recovery with competent therapy. Otherwise, the development of complications of borreliosis infection is possible:

• disruption of the central nervous system, up to weakening of voluntary movements (walking, running);
• meningitis is inflammation of the meninges, which often ends in death;
• disruption of heart rhythm, rapid development of arrhythmia.

Such complications appear 2-3 months after infection. Among the late consequences of penetration into the body of spirochetes (the causative agent of borreliosis):

• damages of the central nervous system, against the background of which severe depression or too high excitability develops;
• impairment of the musculoskeletal system - change in gait, polyarthritis, decrease or increase in muscle tone;
• skin lesions - atrophic acrodermatitis.

With this development of the state of health, we are talking about a chronic form of borreliosis, the diagnosis of which can be complicated due to the absence of initial signs of the disease and the mild course of intoxication.

Lyme disease treatment

First, the doctor will conduct appropriate examinations to confirm the diagnosis. The patient's complaints and visible symptoms are not enough - a blood test for borreliosis will be required. If it is positive, the doctor sends the patient for consultation to an infectious disease specialist and then prescribes therapy.

If the pathology proceeds in a mild form, the treatment of Lyme disease is carried out in outpatient settings. The patient is prescribed a course of antibacterial drugs, most often doctors choose drugs from the tetracycline series. Subsequently, the patient is registered with an infectious disease specialist and regularly undergoes examinations by a cardiologist, a neurologist and a rheumatologist for two years.

In case of a severe course of the disease, the patient is placed in an inpatient unit and, in addition to antibacterial drugs, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and appropriate physiotherapy are prescribed - this will improve the patient's well-being.

Prevention of borreliosis

There is no borreliosis vaccination, unlike the vaccine that is administered to prevent the development of tick-borne encephalitis. It is necessary to observe preventive measures:

1. Carefully hide uncovered parts of the body in nature, put on pants and tuck them into socks, a jacket must have long sleeves, and a hat is mandatory.
2. Stay away from tall grass, any thickets and bushes in the shade - these are favorite places for ixodid ticks to settle.
3. After returning home, you should carefully examine the body for ticks on the skin and, if necessary, remove them with tweezers, twisting the insect's head from the subcutaneous layer. After the procedure, the wound is treated with a disinfectant solution, hands are thoroughly washed with soap.
4. It is advisable to immediately notify medical professionals about the bite in order to carry out preventive antibacterial therapy.

If there is an opportunity to send the tick removed from the body to the laboratory for research, then this must be done. In this way, it will be possible to understand what kind of insect it is and whether it poses a danger to humans.

It is strictly forbidden to press the tick on the body, pull it out with your fingers or nails in an upward direction - this can lead to a partial solution to the problem: the head of the insect remains in the subcutaneous layer, which provokes not only infection, but also suppuration / inflammation.

All recommendations for the prevention of borreliosis can be obtained on the pages of our website dobrobut.com.