Lyme disease can cause lifelong disability. How to avoid it?
Tick activity is highest in spring, and as many as 1 in 3 of these arthropods is infected with the Lyme disease pathogen. In 2023, 2880 cases of Lyme disease were registered in Lithuania, according to data from the National Public Health Centre under the Ministry of Health. "The disease can affect a person's joints, brain and heart. And in the saddest case, it can cause physical or mental disability for life," says the Karoliniškės Polyclinic, Irmantas Aleksa, a doctor at the paediatric ward. How to prevent this insidious disease?
Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is a disease spread by ticks that feed on the blood of humans and animals. It is transmitted in one way only, when a person is bitten by an infected tick. These arthropods are found not only in forests and meadows, but also in urban parks and gardens. Everyone should be on the lookout for them. Lyme disease can be contracted by anyone, and the consequences are the same for everyone, regardless of their age group.
"The most common stage of the disease is stage 1. It manifests itself as a bright red spot at the site of the tick bite. Other possible symptoms include chills, fever, general weakness of the whole body and enlargement of the lymph nodes. However, in some cases, patients may miss the first stage and go straight to the asymptomatic-second stage. It is usually unnoticeable unless the disease affects the person's nervous system and manifests itself, for example, in damage to the facial nerves."
The third stage of Lyme disease is crucial. Its effects can be felt for the rest of your life.
"At this stage, one of the three body systems is usually affected: the joints, the heart or the brain. Once it reaches the stage of neuroborreliosis, the disease can affect the brain in such a way that the patient is disabled for life. A malfunctioning nervous system will leave the person unable to take care of himself or herself. Although rare, in the long term, damage to the joints can also lead to disability," says the doctor about the consequences of the third stage of Lyme disease.
Tick activity peaks in spring, and as many as 1 in 3 of these arthropods are infected with the Lyme disease pathogen
Three ways to protect yourself
There is no vaccine for this disease. However, individual protection measures can help prevent it. The first of these is to dress appropriately when going into the woods or other places where ticks like to go.
"Wear light-coloured clothing: a long-sleeved T-shirt or sweater with cuffs that fit snugly around the wrist and trousers that fit snugly around the body. It is also advisable to wear a scarf around the head or a close-fitting hat. And when returning from tick-risk areas, do a thorough full-body check and destroy crawling ticks or remove any that have been sucked in as soon as possible," says Aleksa, who outlines one of the preventive measures for Lyme disease.
Experts also consider the timing of diagnosis to be very important - every extra day can lead to a more serious complication.
"The later it is detected, the longer and more complex the course of treatment. It also increases the likelihood of complications. That's why it's a good idea to have a rapid Lyme disease test at home," says the doctor.
Although a self-test is not equivalent to a laboratory test, and in all cases the diagnosis is made by a doctor, it is a way to detect an existing disease earlier, before a visit to a medical facility.
"If a tick bite is noticed, the tick should be removed immediately. Then monitor the site during the incubation period, and 2-3 weeks after the insect bite, test your health with a self-administered rapid Lyme disease test. This test can give a positive result up to six weeks after infection. These rapid tests have an accuracy of >98% and are readily available in major pharmacies if needed," says Gintarė Žukauskienė, representative of the Testera line of products offering self-testing, and sales manager of pharmacy chains.
A third measure is the use of repellents, which are substances that repel arthropods. According to the doctor, this is one of the best primary prevention measures. It is designed to repel disease-causing agents.
