Proper treatment of Lyme disease
Treatment for Lyme Disease
Types of disease treatment varies between each type of disease. Many disease treatments will involve medication, while other disease treatments may involve therapy or counseling. For some diseases, however, disease treatment may involve preventative measures. Some disease treatment will even be more abnormal and peculiar.
Antibiotics are a type of disease treatment in the form of a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. They are also the disease treatment of choice for Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a disease caused by the bite of a tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia. It can stay with an individual for months, or even years, after infection, causing early symptoms of fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and cause a rash around the bite. In later stages, if left untreated, Lyme disease can damage the joints, heart, and nervous system. Disease treatment for Lyme disease is a simple use of antibiotics, and as stated before, must be treated early to avoid more serious symptoms.
Receiving disease treatment for Lyme disease is important once symptoms begin to appear. If an individual sees a circular rash around a tick bite or is experiencing the primary symptoms of fever, headache, or fatigue, it is recommended that they immediately see a doctor. A doctor would be able to provide the disease treatment required to get better.
The rest of this article will, hopefully, better describe the treatment options for Lyme disease and its several stages:
1. Early stages of Lyme disease
Early treatment utilizes a long treatment of antibiotics. Depending on the patient and the stage of the disease, there are many different antibiotics commonly used. Doxycycline is an antibiotic most commonly used, as it is used for adults. Amoxicillin is the antibiotic commonly used in children, while erythromycin is used in pregnant women, and ceftrixone used as an alternative. These antibiotic treatments usually last from 2-3 weeks.
2. Post-Lyme disease symptoms
It often happens that patients suffering from Lyme disease continue to have symptoms even after underdoing antibiotic treatment. In fact, up to one third of patients continue to have symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive difficulties. Some theories as to why this happens are that the initial infection may have autoimmune characteristics or that other infections from Borrelia or other tick-borne infections may cause the persistent symptoms.
Treatment for such symptoms include hydroxychloroquine or methotrexate, both aimed to cure Lyme arthritis.
3. Alternative therapies
In addition to these antibiotic treatments, disease treatment for Lyme disease has also historically had alternative therapies. While there are no clinical trials to date for these treatments, many believe that they may have a positive impact when used in conjunction with antibiotics. The use of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, for example, has been said to be effective against Borrelia burgdorferi. Another possible alternative treatment is bee venom, as it contains melittin, which inhibits Lyme bacteria.