|
|
|
|
Lyme Disease
|
| Children can get lyme disease after being bitten by a tick that is infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Lyme disease is most common in certain areas of the United States, especially the northeast coast, from Maryland to Massachusetts, the upper midwest, especially Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and lastly, northern California. Your child is unlikely to get Lyme disease if he is bitten by a tick outside of one of these regions, but keep in mind that Lyme disease has been found in all 48 states of the continental United States.
Ticks, especially the deer tick, become infected after feeding on animals that are already infected with this bacteria. They can then transmit the bacteria to people after they bite and feed on them. It usually takes at least twenty four to forty eight hours for the tick to transmit enough bacteria to cause Lyme disease, so if you quickly remove a tick, your child is unlikely to get Lyme disease.
Lyme disease starts with a very distinctive rash that usually begins near the area where your child was bitten by a tick. It may take a few days to a few weeks for the rash to appear and it usually starts as a large, flat, red area that slowly enlarges and develops a central clear area (erythema chronica migrans). Your child may also develop flu like symptoms, including fever, muscle aches, sore throat, swollen glands, headache, fatigue, nausea, or vomiting. This is the first stage of Lyme, and if your child is treated with antibiotics at this time he shouldn't advance to the other stages.
The second stage of Lyme disease begins two to twelve weeks after the tick bite and only occurs in people who weren't treated with antibiotics during the first stage. The symptoms of stage two can include a stiff neck, weak muscles (especially the facial muscles and the muscles of the lower legs), numbness of the lower legs and sometimes heart rhythm problems.
Lyme disease can also progress to a third stage that includes arthritis, or inflammation of a joint, usually one of the large joints near the original tick bite. This stage usually begins six weeks to two years after the original tick bite. |
|
|
Treatment
|
Treatment for Lyme disease is with antibiotics, which may need to taken for up to a month. You can prevent your child from getting Lyme disease by preventing him from getting bitten by ticks. In high risk areas, you should have your child wear long sleeve shirts and long pants with high socks and boots. You can also tuck your child's pant legs into his socks and use a tick repellent. Also, check your child's body for ticks at least once or twice a day, especially if you have been camping or playing in tick infested areas (grassy, brushy or wooden areas).
Notice: As of February 25, 2002 the manufacturer announced that the LYMErix™ Lyme disease vaccine will no longer be commercially available.
|
|
|
Removing a Tick
|
|
The safest and easiest way to remove a tick that is attached to your child is to just pull it off. You can use tweezers or your fingers to grasp it close to the skin and gently pull it off. Avoid squeezing or twisting the tick, since this can cause it to inject more secretions into your child or it can cause the head or other body parts to break off and remain in the skin. Once the tick is removed, you should dispose of it and wash the area of the bite and your hands with warm soapy water.
You should also avoid trying to remove a tick by burning it, applying nail polish, alcohol, or other substances to the tick, as these methods rarely work.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
the top 100 best selling electronics products at amazon.com
|
subscribe to Parents magazine. Filled with advice & support from doctors, educators and other parents. |
|
|
|
