Parish Nursing

HEALTHCARE Ministries
LYME DISEASE

   Lyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a bacterium called a “spirochete.” Ticks found on deer harbor the bacterium in their stomachs. Lyme disease is spread by these ticks when they bite the skin, allowing the bacterium to infect the body. Lyme disease is not contagious from an infected person to someone else. Lyme Disease is a serious matter because it can cause abnormalities in the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system. Ticks can cause several other diseases also.

   In 1975 a group of children who lived near each other in Lyme, Connecticut were all diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This was unusual, which led to research that identified the bacterial cause of the children’s condition.

   As the bacteria spread in the skin away from the initial tick bite, the infection causes an expanding reddish rash.  There may be an outer ring of brighter redness and a

central area of clearing leading to a “bulls-eye” appearance. This is often accompanied by fatigue, muscle and joint stiffness, swollen lymph nodes, and headache resembling a virus infection. Not everyone has this bull’s eye skin rash, but if you do have it you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The disease can be cured with antibiotics depending on the stage of the disease and what areas of the body are affected. Later, blood testing is helpful in a patient who has a history of a tick bite at least a month prior. Sometimes it is not diagnosed because it looks like other conditions.

   The later phases of Lyme disease can affect the heart, causing inflammation of the heart muscle. This can result in abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. The nervous system can develop facial muscle paralysis (Bell’s palsy), abnormal sensation due to disease of peripheral nerves, meningitis, and confusion. Arthritis or inflammation in the joints begins with swelling, stiffness and pain usually in the knees. Researchers have found that anxiety and depression occur in people with Lyme disease.

   There are over 200 kinds of ticks.  Some species and life stages of ticks are so small they can be difficult to see, but during the Spring and Summer they are waiting in the woods ready to jump onto any warm body passing by--animal or human.

When you go into known tick areas, wear light clothing, long pants tucked into boots and long sleeves to protect the skin. Clothing, children, and pets should be examined for ticks. Bathing and washing clothing might help. In the nymph stage the tick is the size of a dot, so could be missed. Spraying insect repellent containing DEET can help in preventing Lyme disease. Read the instructions before applying. You can modify your landscape to create “tick-safe” zones. Keep play areas away from shrubs and bushes. Remove leaf litter and clear tall grasses and brush around homes. You could also use a chemical control agent.

   If you are bitten by a tick, remove it as soon as you notice it. Most people say to use tweezers to pull the tick out. Then clean the bite with alcohol or Betadine and watch for signs of infection, illness, rash or fever and see a doctor if these develop.

“Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  
Cor. 6:20.

 Bonnie Kanady, RN