Treatment For Lyme Disease

A treatment for Lyme disease will be needed for those that are infected with the most common tick borne disease in the United States, with over 16,000 new cases each year. Lyme disease treatment is necessary when a person is showing any number of symptoms of infection. People at risk of becoming infected are frequently children and young adults, live near heavily wooded areas, are frequently outside in the summer and fall, and live primarily in the coastal northeast. It is important to prepare and warn children about the disease before allowing them to play in the woods. "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward" (Psalm 127:3).

A common symptom can be a red rash appearing within a few weeks of the tick bite which resembles a bulls eye over the infected location and can be the size of a dime or larger. Flu-like symptoms such as: fever, headache, stiff neck, body aches, and fatigue may all require a remedy. Over 60% of people that did not get treatment for Lyme disease developed recurring attacks of arthritis, most commonly in the knees, lasting a few days to a few months. About 10%-20% of those people that did not get help will develop ongoing arthritis. Some people, without Lyme disease treatment, will get temporary numbness or paralysis of muscles in the face, weakness in the limbs and poor motor coordination.

If an adequate remedy is not received by those infected, symptoms will eventually develop, showing up weeks, months, or even years later. Lyme disease treatment primarily consists of giving the patient dosages of antibiotics. Patients that are under nine years of age, pregnant, or lactating should receive penicillin based antibiotics and should be given right away. Some patients may experience muscle soreness, chronic fatigue and neurological problems such as memory loss, or lack of ability to concentrate as a side effect of medication.

Research is still being done to figure out a way to combat the remaining side effects from Lyme disease treatment. New types of antibiotics are always being tested to improve and speed up recovery. Currently, a 3-4 week dosage is required to enable a patient to be rid of the infection if it was given at an early stage. Later stages may require an intravenous treatment for Lyme disease for 4 weeks or longer. Re-treatment may be necessary if the symptoms return in a patient. Preventative vaccines have also been developed, and are 80% effective. Doctors suggest keeping a healthy diet and a stress free lifestyle to aid in the recovery effort.

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