Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks.
Antibiotics can treat Lyme disease. If you do not treat your child's Lyme disease, it can lead to problems with the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system. These problems can develop weeks, months, or even years after your child gets the infection.
Your child may be prescribed antibiotics even if it isn't yet certain that your child has Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is an illness from getting bitten by a tick infected with a certain type of bacteria. It can cause fatigue, headache, stiff neck, fever, sore muscles and joints, and sometimes a red rash that looks like a bull's-eye.
Antibiotics usually work. If you don't get treated right away, Lyme disease can cause serious problems with the joints, nervous system, and heart.
When an infected tick bites you, bacteria travel to the tick's salivary glands and then into your body through your skin. It takes at least 24 hours for a tick to transmit the Lyme disease bacteria.
There are three stages of Lyme disease. If the disease isn't treated, it may progress in stages from mild symptoms to serious, long-term disabilities.
The symptoms of Lyme disease depend on the stage of the disease. You may first notice symptoms weeks to months after the tick bite. If the disease isn't treated, it may progress from mild symptoms to serious, long-term disabilities.
If you don't have symptoms during stage 1, your first symptoms may be those found in stage 2 or 3.
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. If Lyme disease goes untreated, it can lead to problems with your skin, joints, nervous system, and heart. The problems often get better with antibiotics. But in rare cases, they can be lifelong.
Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and do a physical exam. The round, red rash is a sign of Lyme disease. Your doctor will also ask questions to find out if you've been around infected ticks. You may have a blood test to see if you have certain antibodies in your blood.
Source: Public Health Image Library (PHIL). James Gathany; William Nicholshon. Available online: http://phil.cdc.gov.
Western black-legged ticks are one of two types of ticks in the United States that carry Lyme disease bacteria.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria. Infected ticks spread the bacteria by biting people or animals.
Two types of ticks carry the Lyme disease bacteria in the U.S. They are:
Dogs, cats, and horses can become infected with Lyme disease bacteria, but they can't pass the illness to humans. But infected ticks may fall off the animals and then bite and infect humans.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks. You can get Lyme disease if you're bitten by an infected tick. But most people who've had a tick bite don't get Lyme disease. If you don't treat Lyme disease, it can lead to problems with your skin, joints, heart, and nervous system.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
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