When traversing the woods of East Tennessee, it’s not uncommon to encounter ticks. These little parasites latch onto a person’s skin and gorge on their host’s blood. While outside of being a nuisance and perhaps somewhat painful, tick bites aren’t particularly troublesome. What can be concerning, however, are the diseases these bloodsuckers carry.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists 10 diseases carried by ticks in the U.S. One of those diseases is Lyme Disease. Tennessee is not one of the states where Lyme Disease is most common, but the infection has been found in every U.S. state, including the Volunteer State.
Named after the town of Lyme, Conn., where it was first identified, Lyme Disease is spread by deer ticks. When an infected tick bites, the bacteria is transmitted through the bug’s saliva into the bloodstream. The person will then likely develop a rash around the bite, although a significant portion of people do not get a rash. As the disease progresses, people begin having flu-like symptoms, headaches, fatigue, chills, fever, swollen lymph glands and joint pain. These symptoms typically occur between three and 30 days after being bitten.
If left untreated, the infection can lead to heart palpitations, dizziness, loss of muscle tone in the face, severe headaches and neck stiffness. Some of these problems, such as arthritis, can linger even after the disease has been treated.
Oral antibiotics are prescribed to treat Lyme Disease, and if started early on, can lead to a full recovery.
If you find a tick on you, you should remove it by grabbing the body with a pair of tweezers. If you are able to remove the tick, save it’s body to take to your doctor so he or she can test it to see if it has Lyme Disease. If you are unable to remove the tick, or are able to remove the body but not the head, see a doctor for help.
It is crucial that those who suspect they may have Lyme Disease seek medical treatment immediately due to the potential for rapid progression and severe nature of the infection.
If you need more serious help with skin issues or something else that is troubling your skin, we are here to help. Skin health is an important part of total body wellness. Schedule an appointment today with one of our board certified physicians to get your skin the care it needs so it can reach its fullest, healthiest potential.
Contact Knoxville Dermatology Group at 865.690.9467.
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