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Lyme Disease tick-1271763_1920 - Coggle Diagram
Lyme Disease 
Pathogenesis
Stage One: after the first day or month of being bitten, a localized infection occurs, causing fever, chills, and general malaise. An indicator of Lyme Disease is the presence of erythema migrans or the bulls-eye rash (Some may become asymptomatic at this stage also)
Stage Two: after three to ten weeks of first infection, the disseminated stage occurs. This stage is characterized by the reappearance of erythema migrans, muscle pain, joint pain, and, at times, severe symptoms like heart arrhythmia
Stage Three: Chronic Lyme Disease is developed once the infection passes ten weeks. In this stage, debilitating effects of the disease can occur such as arthritis, nervous system damage, and heart failure
Lyme Disease is spread mainly through the bite of the arthropod vector Ixodes scapularis, otherwise known as the deer tick
the disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete
Incidence and Prevalence
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Over 30,000 individuals are diagnosed with Lyme Disease every year in the United States
Lyme Disease shows prevalence in the age groups under 15 years and from 25 years to 44 years (prevalence in these age groups are associated with time spent outdoors instead of age being a predisposing factor)
Risk Factors
Anyone who can be bitten by a tick is at risk of being exposed to Lyme Disease. Being outdoors often increases the chance of encountering a tick. Hikers, campers, and gardeners are the most at risk of contracting Lyme Disease
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Diagnostics
Early diagnosing is done through the observation of characteristic signs and symptoms of Lyme disease such as the presence of erythema migrans and fever
If a person is asymptomatic but is suspected of Lyme disease, antibody testing is performed
An Immunofluorescence Assay is performed to measure the amount of Lyme titers present in the blood. If the test is positive for a certain amount of Lyme titers, further testing is done to confirm Lyme disease
A Western Blot Test is then performed after the titer test. This test essentially separates the blood from proteins, and it specifically detects Lyme disease antibody proteins, which indicates the presence of a Lyme disease infection
Clinical Manifestations
Early symptoms can include the following: chills, headache, fatigue, muscle ache, and joint pain
As the disease progresses, it develops these symptoms: severe joint pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath
During the final stages, symptoms worsen as follows: neuropathy (includes shooting pain, numbness, and tingling of hands and feet), dementia, and depression
Early signs can include the following: erythema migrans (bulls eye rash), swelled lymph nodes, fever
As the disease progresses, it develops these signs: additional appearance of erythema migrans, facial weakness, irregular heartbeat (lyme carditis), and conjunctivitis
The final life-threatening signs of the disease are characterized by aseptic meningitis and sleep disorders
Treatments
As longs as the disease is intervened early, it can be treated easily with a 14 day to 21 day oral antibiotic therapy.
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The presence of Lyme Disease in the central nervous system requires IV administration of antibiotics
Antibiotic treatment for some patients may resolve infection, but they may still have or develop lingering effects of the disease for unknown reasons. At this point, Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) has developed
No treatment for PTLDS exists, and studies are still being conducted in order to find a way to alleviate symptoms. For now, there are only a few ways to tackle certain symptoms of PTLDS
Swelling and joint pain are treated with NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) or hydroxychloroquine to reduce inflammation
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