JMT: What is Lyme disease?

JMT: What is Lyme disease?

JMT: What is Lyme disease? After several months of feeling drowsy and lack of energy and splitting headaches, the singer Avril, who has always been positive and energetic, got her test results and she suffered from “Lyme disease.”

“I can’t believe that being bitten by a bug can cause me such a serious disease,” said Avril Lavigne, who thought she was bitten by a bug last spring. “It made me lie in bed for 5 months. “.

“I feel like I can’t breathe, I can’t talk, I can’t move, I feel like I’m going to die,” Avril said, “Actually, I might not have a bath for a whole week, because I couldn’t stand up at all at that time. This kind of life sucks.” Her mother moved to her house to take care of her, and her husband Chad would go home to take care of her whenever he was between the tour.

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a natural foci disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, with Ixodes ticks as the main vector. The clinical manifestations are chronic inflammatory multi-system damage, in addition to chronic migratory erythema and arthritis, it is often accompanied by symptoms such as heart damage and nervous system involvement.

It is named after it was first discovered in Lymetown, Connecticut, USA in 1977. Today, the disease is distributed in more than 30 countries and regions around the world. Since Lyme disease was first discovered in Linhai County, Heilongjiang Province in 1986, it has been found in 21 provinces and municipalities including Jilin, Liaoning, and Inner Mongolia. It is mainly manifested as damage to multiple organs such as the skin and nervous system, with a long course of disease and a high mortality rate.

More symptoms

Lyme disease is mainly infected by the bite of Ixodes burgdorferi with a long incubation period. The early manifestations are local skin damage and chronic migratory erythema, and the rash mostly occurs on the proximal limbs and trunk.

It starts as a red patch or papule slightly higher than the skin, and then gradually expands into a ring, with induration, blisters or necrosis in the center. At the same time, it may be accompanied by symptoms such as general malaise, fatigue, headache, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

A few weeks or months after these symptoms appear, neurological, circulatory, and motor system disorders may occur, such as severe headache, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, facial nerve palsy, tachycardia, joint swelling, and limited mobility.

How to prevent Lyme disease

The occurrence and prevalence of Lyme disease have a certain regional nature. It mostly occurs in densely forested areas, and is rare in hilly and plain areas. At the same time, its prevalence is also closely related to climatic conditions, mostly occurring in warm spring and summer. Generally, it starts to appear in April, increases significantly in May, and reaches a peak in June. These seasons are peak tourist seasons. When visiting densely forested areas in the suburbs, you must pay attention to avoid being bitten by ticks.

The prevention method is mainly to make personal protection. If you enter the forest or grassland, you should wear long-sleeved, long-sleeved clothes, stockings and high-top travel shoes. It is best to tie your sleeves and trousers tightly; you should walk quickly instead of staying, and do not sit or lie on the grass in the forest. Don’t put your clothes on the grass when you go to rest; take a shower and change your clothes immediately when you return from travel.

When playing in the forest area for 2 to 4 hours, you should check your clothes and body surface thoroughly. If you find a tick biting your body, shake it gently to make it fall off or pull it out gently. Disinfect the bite wound with iodine and alcohol. If you find scars or erythema caused by a tick bite, you should go to the hospital for treatment.

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