Neurological Symptoms of Lyme

Lyme disease is an illness developed after being bitten by an infected tick. The disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. People living in wooded or grassy areas are more prone to tick bites. Most people recover fully when treated early, others may have lingering symptoms for years after the infection is gone.

Early Symptoms

• A rash may appear in the bit area, within several days to a month. The rash will start to expand and may be tender and warm. The rash can expand to 12 inches and resemble a bull's-eye. You may also experience fever, chills, body aches and fatigue.

Acute Neurological Symptoms

• As the disease progresses with no treatment given, acute neurological symptoms may begin to occur. Bell's palsy is a temporary paralysis of one or both sides of the face and meningitis symptoms of sensitivity to light, headaches and neck stiffness are both associated with the neurological symptoms of Lyme disease. The infection can cause sleep disturbances, memory loss and changes in mood.

Chronic Neurological Symptoms

• After several months or more of non-treatment, serious neurological symptoms may occur and are called Lyme encephalopathy. These symptoms include eye inflammation, chronic fatigue, weakness in the legs, bladder problems, dizziness and back pain. In rare cases delusional behavior and panic attacks can occur.

Diagnosis

• Not all people will experience the bull's-eye skin rash or remember being bitten by a tick. Certain tests will need to be performed as Lyme disease can mimic symptoms of other illnesses. An ELISA test will detect the antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. A Western blot test detects antibodies to proteins of the B. burgdorferi and normally confirms diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Treatment

• Oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin are the normal treatment for early stages of Lyme disease. A 14 to 21 day course of treatment should clear the infection. When the disease has progressed, your doctor may recommend intravenous injections of antibiotics over a 14 to 28 day period. This type of treatment may cause gallstones, diarrhea and a low white blood cell count.

Prevention/Solution

• When walking in tall grass or a wooded area, wear long sleeves and pants. Use insect repellent and check yourself and your children after spending time in tick infested areas. Showering after being outdoors where ticks breed may help to remove unattached ticks from your skin. When removing a tick, use tweezers and grasp the tick by its head or mouth and pull straight out. Remove the entire tick from the bite area. Dispose of the tick and apply antiseptic to the tick bite.