High School Students Want to Know: What happens if you don’t treat Lyme disease?

 Question #4

What happens if you don’t treat Lyme disease?  Is Lyme disease very serious?

Untreated Lyme disease may lead to a variety of problems including fever, rashes, facial palsy and arthritis. Other long-term affects are listed here.  Some can be serious, but the disease seems to be unpredictable, causing worse problems for some people compared to others.  Much research still needs to be done to understand why there are differences in how people are affected.

Even with treatment, according to the CDC, "In a small percentage of cases, symptoms such as fatigue (being tired) and myalgia (muscle aches) can last for more than 6 months. This condition is known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), although it is also sometimes called chronic Lyme disease."

Read more from the CDC here. 

 

Post by C. Fisher 

 

High School Students Want to Know: How is Lyme disease treated?

Question #3:

How is Lyme disease treated?

Usually a course of antibiotics is all that is required if the disease is caught early.  With more complicated cases it is possible there may be different treatments prescribed to meet the needs of the individual patient’s symptoms.   

 

To read more about treatments for Lyme disease symptoms from the CDC click here.

 

Post by C. Fisher 

 

Enjoy Earth Day!

Did you know, this Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day?

Get outside and enjoy the great outdoors.  But don't forget your sunscreen and your insect repellent!

Medline Plus refers you to the EPA to learn more about safe, effective insect repellents to ward off tick and mosquito bites:

 

 You can also learn more about applying insect repellent safely with this Minnesota Department of Health video: