Lyme disease is a rash that is transmitted to humans from ticks and appears one week after the tick bite. Stating that tick cases increase in spring and summer, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Specialist Dr. Güler Delibalta said, “Tick bites are common in summer and this can invite serious health problems. Symptoms of the disease can be confused with many diseases. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans only by ticks and often has vague symptoms, making it difficult to make an accurate diagnosis. The number of patients diagnosed with Lyme disease in our country is not very high. However, it is useful to be careful in patients with chronic complaints and undiagnosed patients.
SYMPTOMS ARE MIXED WITH DIFFERENT DISEASES
Emphasizing that Lyme disease mimics many diseases, Dr. Güler Delibalta said, “Symptoms can be confused with many diseases. It has symptoms that mimic many diseases such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, ALS, Alzheimer’s, depression, insomnia, inflammatory rheumatism (rheumatoid arthritis), MS (multiple sclerosis). Therefore, it makes diagnosis difficult. Last year, a patient named Ezgi came from England. When Ezgi came, she could not walk, her condition was severe. He applied for many opinions over the years for his disease, but he could not be diagnosed. Ezgi applied to our hospital for diagnosis and treatment, and as a result of the examinations, we diagnosed Ezgi with Lyme disease. After a long treatment, he regained his health. Unfortunately, Lyme disease is a disease that makes it difficult to diagnose because of its vague symptoms. That’s why he is also known as the ‘silent killer’ and ‘great imitator’.
SYMPTOMS CAN BE SEEN MONTHS LATER
Stating that Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics in the early period, Dr. Delibalta said, “Early symptoms usually begin 1-2 weeks after the tick bite, and some patients develop rashes in the form of a red ring with pale middle edges, together with fatigue, weakness, fever, chills, muscle and headache, which can last for 4 weeks or more. If left untreated, the microorganism can spread to the joints, nervous system and cardiovascular system. Early symptoms of common Lyme disease may appear weeks or even months after a tick bite and may present with numbness, temporary paralysis on one side of the face, palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
Approximately 6 months after infection, patients may present with complaints of joint pain and swelling in the joints. Months or years after the tick bite, Lyme disease can progress late, and this can lead to health problems such as rheumatoid arthritis and heart inflammation. Articular rheumatism usually occurs late and occurs in 60 percent of untreated patients. Neurological and heart diseases can also be seen during this period.
“SHOWER SHOULD BE TAKEN AFTER BEING IN TIC RISK AREAS”
Stating that ticks can appear throughout the year, they are generally more active in the warmer months. Delibalta made suggestions to avoid contact with ticks and said, “Ticks are generally found in grassy and wooded areas. We may come into close contact with ticks when we camp or picnic, take the pets out for a walk, or do gardening. For this reason, it is important to take a shower after being in tick-risk areas, and to carry out the necessary controls on our pets and our bodies, if any.
(DHA)