1. What is the proper treatment for Lyme disease?
Most patients with Lyme disease are treated with antibiotics.
^ Back to top
2. Can I do anything to protect myself from becoming infected?
Yes. If you are in the woods or garden in tick-infested areas, avoid contact with the soil, leaves, and vegetation. Wear closed shoes, light-coloured clothing, and use insect repellant containing DEET. Check your clothing and exposed skin frequently and remove ticks promptly. Animals such as dogs, cats, horses, and cows can also carry the deer tick. Check your pet often, particularly the areas of the head and neck, the ears, or between the toes. Use a tick repellent prescribed by your veterinarian.
^ Back to top
3. How can I recognize the signs if I don’t show the rash?
The rash appears in only about 50% of those infected. This rash may be the classic “bull’s eye,” but may also be blotchy or red and may be confused with poison ivy, spider bites, or ringworm. It may appear between a few days and a few weeks after being bitten and can disappear quickly. If possible, take a picture of the rash to show your doctor, since the rash may be gone before you can get an appointment.
Other symptoms of Lyme disease include fatigue, chills and fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Check with your doctor if you have any of these symptoms and cannot explain how you got them.
^ Back to top
4. Which countries are affected by Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is common in the US, particularly the forested areas of New England, and in Scandinavia. Other countries in Western and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Japan, China, and Australia have all reported cases. Each year hundreds of thousands are infected in the US, while in the UK there are usually only a few hundred cases.
^ Back to top
5. Are deer ticks the only way to get Lyme disease?
No. On the US Pacific coast and in southeastern states, the black-legged tick also transmits Lyme disease.
^ Back to top
