Diagnosis And Symptoms Of Lyme Disease In Children - Ayushveda

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Discovered in USA in 1921, Lyme disease is most prevalent in regions of Northern hemisphere. Around 25% of the patients suffering from Lyme disease are children.

Children falling victim to such infection show vague symptoms similar to many common illnesses. If discovered in early stages, the infection can be easily be eradicated with treatment with antibiotics.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease such as ?Ixodes ticks?, which are commonly known as deer ticks. The ticks act as a carrier for the bacteria of genus Borrelia, as in different regions around the world different species of the bacteria emerge as the chief offender. Species which have found to cause Lyme disease includes Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii.

Areas within heavily wooded regions or grass field are most likely to harbor the Ixodes ticks; outdoor activities may put children in danger of receiving a tick bite. A tick serving as a reservoir for the bacteria need needs to be associated with the victim to successfully transfer the infection. In all individuals bitten by deer-tick, only 10% cases result in infection.

Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

Symptoms for Lyme disease may appear after one to two weeks which is the incubation period for the bacteria. One of the earliest symptom in appearance of a rash commonly known as? Erythema Migrans? (EM). Being peculiar in its shape, the rash resembles like a bulls eye symbol where A central red spot surrounded by expanding ring of reddish skin. The rash in most cases is non-itchy and painless.

Source :?http://www.humenhealth.com/erythema-infectiosum-fifth-disease/erythema-infectiosum-fifth-disease.asp

However, as normally two third of patient shows the appearance of EM rash, a child may directly rush to secondary symptoms without any sign of EM rash.

If left untreated, the infected child may show more severe symptoms generally similar to that of common flu. Child may experience fatigue, insomnia, nausea, abdominal pain, fever, dizziness and sensitivity to light.

Children in given stage can be identified by loss of concentration, confused state of mind, erratic behavior, mood swings, and poor short-term memory. The respective symptoms are result of progressive infection affecting brain and central nervous system.

As the infection advances, child may experience facial paralysis with numbness in the arms and legs. The victim becomes susceptible to meningitis with symptoms such as headache and stiffness of neck. Child?s heart rate may increase with migrating pain in muscles, joints and tendons.

Since the time of infection at an average of 6 months, child enters into the late stage of Lyme disease. Most prominent of outcome observed to be arthritis, particularly in the knee or other large joints.

Chronic manifestation of infection include encephalitis, frequent fevers, increased incidence of ear and throat infections, increased incidence of pneumonia, irritability, joint-body pain, poor muscle tone, gastroesophageal reflux, small windpipe (tracheomalacia), eye problems, developmental delay, learning disabilities and psychiatric problems

Diagnosis Of Lyme Disease

Peculiar symptoms such a EM rash helps doctors to identify the Lyme disease. However blood may be tested to confirm presence of bacteria. Tests such as, ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), Western blot test, PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) are helpful to identify antibodies specific to Borrelia infection.

Treatment Of Lyme Disease

The patients undergo a regimen of antibiotics to ward off infection. In children of early stage of infection, antibiotics like doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime are administered orally with a course of 14 to 21 days. Children with progressive infection antibiotics are applied intravenously for 14 to 28 days, as patient may show side effects such as lowered blood cell count with mild or severe diarrhea.

Prevention Of Lyme Disease

Protection from tick bite is most obvious preventive measure as care is to be taken when children are involved in outdoor activities. However, if a tick is found attached to the child?s body, it should be carefully removed using tweezers. As the tick requires 24 hours of attachment period, such a removal reduces the possibility of infection completely.

Parents need to be especially alert when visiting places with common occurrence of Lyme disease. In case of suspected bite, a close eye is to keep on developments of initial symptoms such as EM rash, fever, chills, fatigue, joint or muscle pain.

Correct measure if followed helps in identification and mitigation of Lyme disease before it results in any adverse consequence, affecting the day to day life of a child.

Diagnosis And Symptoms Of Lyme Disease In Children, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

Source: http://www.ayushveda.com/magazine/diagnosis-and-symptoms-of-lyme-disease-in-children/

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