How can I tell if I have Lyme disease?!
Question: How can I tell if I have Lyme disease!?
Firstly, I'm from New England, so could I have been bitten by a Western Black-Legged Tick !? My father, who's a real out doors kind of guy, insisted it was an American Dog Tick, when I showed it to him!. I'm goin to the dodctors regaurdless, but in the mean time, what should I watch for!?
also I got the tick out not long after it bit me, so it wasn't very big (engourged) its been almost three days and the little spot isn't any bigger, if that helps!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
also I got the tick out not long after it bit me, so it wasn't very big (engourged) its been almost three days and the little spot isn't any bigger, if that helps!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Your absolute best bet is to take the tick to you physician so that he/she can send it to a medical parasitologist to be identified!. The primary difference between Dermacentor ticks and Ixodes ticks is the colouration on the back of the tick!. Dermacentors are mottled on the back while ixodes are solid coloured sort of dark reddish/black!. If the tick is a female this will be much harder to determine!. A fully engorged Ixodes will actually appear greyish!. Dermacentor ticks are much more aggresive than Ixodes!. While Dermacentors are rarely considered to be carriers of the bacteria that causes Lymes disease, they can carry other diseases!. Out here in British Columbia, Canada we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of Dermacentors we see and this particular species causes paralytic tick fever which can be potentially fatal!.
The singlemost diagnostic feature (outside of actually culturing the gut contents of the tick itself or performing serology on you) is the characteristic rash that accompanies Lymes disease!. It is called erythema migrans and looks like a large bullseye shaped rash at the bite site that continues to expand outward in size!. In the absence of this rash but if you become symptomatic in other ways, your physician may opt to perform serology testing on you which only will involve the taking of a blood sample from you!. This is usually the most useful test!.
In order to transmit the causative agent of Lymes disease to you (the bacteria) the tick must have fed for a considerable amount of time (18 hours or so) and ingested enough blood to become fully engorged at which point it can become as big as half your thumbnail!. Being this full, the tick literally gets too full and disgorges part of the contents of its gut back into the host (you!) and with it goes the bacteria!.
You do live in an area considered to be endemic but if your bite site is still relatively small, I'd bet you are just fine!.!.!.but see your doctor to be sure and take the tick with you always!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
The singlemost diagnostic feature (outside of actually culturing the gut contents of the tick itself or performing serology on you) is the characteristic rash that accompanies Lymes disease!. It is called erythema migrans and looks like a large bullseye shaped rash at the bite site that continues to expand outward in size!. In the absence of this rash but if you become symptomatic in other ways, your physician may opt to perform serology testing on you which only will involve the taking of a blood sample from you!. This is usually the most useful test!.
In order to transmit the causative agent of Lymes disease to you (the bacteria) the tick must have fed for a considerable amount of time (18 hours or so) and ingested enough blood to become fully engorged at which point it can become as big as half your thumbnail!. Being this full, the tick literally gets too full and disgorges part of the contents of its gut back into the host (you!) and with it goes the bacteria!.
You do live in an area considered to be endemic but if your bite site is still relatively small, I'd bet you are just fine!.!.!.but see your doctor to be sure and take the tick with you always!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
http://arthritis!.webmd!.com/tc/lyme-disea!.!.!.
What are the symptoms!?
One sure sign of Lyme disease is a round, red rash that spreads at the site of a tick bite!. This rash can get very large!.
Flu-like symptoms are also very common!. People in the early stages of Lyme disease may feel very tired and have headaches, sore muscles and joints, and a fever!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
What are the symptoms!?
One sure sign of Lyme disease is a round, red rash that spreads at the site of a tick bite!. This rash can get very large!.
Flu-like symptoms are also very common!. People in the early stages of Lyme disease may feel very tired and have headaches, sore muscles and joints, and a fever!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
If you have Lyme disease, a bullseye shaped scar will form around the bite!. If it doesn't, it is just a regular tick bite and you don't have much to worry about!.
Symptoms of Lyme: fatigue and in some cases red eyeWww@Answer-Health@Com
Symptoms of Lyme: fatigue and in some cases red eyeWww@Answer-Health@Com
The question IS: WHERE did you get BIT!.!. In New England!?!.!.!. on the West coast!? (Where's your Dad from!?)
IF you're "goin to the dodctors regaurdless (sic)", can you show it (the tick) to Him/ Her!? THAT would be the best!. Remember, a deer tick that hasn't gotten engorged isn't much bigger than a head on a common-pin!.
A tick, say, a 1/4" across, or more, IS likely a common "dog tick" [Dermacentor variabilis]!. They CAN occ carry Lyme (rare) but are very poor at transferring the spirochettes to a new host, even if they Are infected!.
Now!.!.!.If you got it out "not long after it bit [you]" you shouldn't have anything to worry about!. It takes the better part of 24 hrs for even an aggressive deer tick to get on you, dig in & start feeding!. Only after that do the corkscrew Lyme bacteria start finding their way out into the bite area, IF the deer tick was even inFected!. (Which, unfortunately, ~1/2 ARE in the coastal areas of New England, exc!. possibly far No!. Maine)Www@Answer-Health@Com
IF you're "goin to the dodctors regaurdless (sic)", can you show it (the tick) to Him/ Her!? THAT would be the best!. Remember, a deer tick that hasn't gotten engorged isn't much bigger than a head on a common-pin!.
A tick, say, a 1/4" across, or more, IS likely a common "dog tick" [Dermacentor variabilis]!. They CAN occ carry Lyme (rare) but are very poor at transferring the spirochettes to a new host, even if they Are infected!.
Now!.!.!.If you got it out "not long after it bit [you]" you shouldn't have anything to worry about!. It takes the better part of 24 hrs for even an aggressive deer tick to get on you, dig in & start feeding!. Only after that do the corkscrew Lyme bacteria start finding their way out into the bite area, IF the deer tick was even inFected!. (Which, unfortunately, ~1/2 ARE in the coastal areas of New England, exc!. possibly far No!. Maine)Www@Answer-Health@Com