Lyme Disease - A Real Threat?

By Author: Steven Johnson
Total Articles: 490
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One of the big problems in life is knowing how real a threat is. Newspapers take seriously the idea that only bad news sells. No one wants to read about how little Jimmy was kind to his pet giraffe (although many would be curious to know how he came to have a giraffe as a pet). But put up a headline about a disaster and copies fly off the newsstand. So it's not unusual to see warnings. Scientists have detected a new strain of a killer disease that's going to sweep the world. You are advised to stay indoors, wash your hands frequently and call a doctor if you develop a rash. After a while, these warnings start to lose their edge. You've lived through previous scares. You don't know anyone who fell ill. Why should you care about the latest headlines? It's the old "cry wolf" thing and unless people actually see the sky falling, Chicken Little stories will be ignored.

So, all you gardeners and campers, how do you feel about those warnings about Lyme disease? Recently, experts have been out in the field (and gardens) counting the ticks. It seems there's a lot more of them this year. Worse, when they first started counting ...
... these pesky little things, they all hibernated or went south for the winter. Now they stay frisky on all but the coldest of days. This means the threat is with us more or less all the time except when there's snow on the ground. Hardly the most reassuring piece of information.

But what is the risk? Sorry, but we need a little biology here. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection and you get it when a tick decides it prefers you to its usual lunch date. As this parasite digs into you and starts sucking out your blood, it also offers thanks in the form of this bacteria. The risk of transmission is small if this is a quick lunch. But if you catch the attention of a nymph, a very young and hard-to-see tick, it may literally hang around you for a day and more. The longer it stays, the greater the risk you will be infected. When this form of transmission was first discovered, science blamed deer ticks. But continuing research has confirmed that ticks can pick up this bacteria from a range of small mammals and some lizards. Taking action to keep deer away from your area is not going to keep you safe. Even mice can be carriers.

The good news is that Doxycycline is a sure remedy. That said, there are a number of other things to say. The sooner you take the Doxycycline in the cycle of infection the better. This can be a little difficult to manage. Not everyone shows the classic flu symptoms early. Even when you have a confirmed diagnosis, buying online adds another couple of days before you can start the treatment. This is not desirable. You want the Doxycycline inside you as soon as possible. This leaves you with the decision whether to lay in a supply of the drug against the possibility. If there is a known problem in your area, this can be safety first. It cannot prevent you from infection, but it's ready the moment you feel the first symptoms.