The Complications of Lyme Disease

02 Mar The Complications of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi is spread from animal to humans through a bite from an infected black-legged tick or deer tick. The disease is less likely to develop when the tick is removed within 36 hours from the body. However, when it goes beyond 48 hours, it can lead to more complications.

The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a skin rash that appears around the affected area. The rash typically feels hot when touched, and varies in appearance (color, size, and shape). However, some patients do not present with rashes but with other symptoms, which include chills, fatigue, fever, headache, irregular heartbeat, joint pain, muscle pain, neck stiffness, numbness, palpitations, rashes, swollen lymph nodes, and tingling.

A Lyme disease diagnosis is usually drawn from a combination of physical examination, medical history, and blood testing. Treatment of Lyme disease also focuses on relieving symptoms and preventing the complications that may evolve from the infection. Some complications of Lyme disease include;

1.    Neuropathy

The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria have a way of evading the immune system by antigenic variation and then proceed to the nervous system, joints, and other organs. When this happens, the bacteria can damage the nerve cells that allow for sensations and coordinate movement between the brain and other organs and parts of the body. Most individuals who suffer from neuropathy as a complication of Lyme disease typically experience symptoms like lost sensation in the hands and feet.

Usually, facial palsy occurs months after the tick bite, and the disease has reached stage 2. It refers to a form of paralysis and loss of movement in a part of the face. It’s caused by damage to nerves that control the muscles that control facial expressions.

2.    Lyme arthritis

Joint inflammation is the most common long-term complication of Lyme disease. It typically develops months to years after the tick bite, when the affected individual doesn’t treat Lyme disease. It can either be mild or severe. Permanent joint damage can result from untreated Lyme disease 

3.    Lyme carditis

Unsuccessful treatment of Lyme disease can lead to myocarditis. Carditis symptoms include palpitations, chest pain, abnormal EKG, and arrhythmia. When Borrelia burgdorferi gets to the heart tissue, it disrupts the electrical system and causes heart block. Complete heart block typically occurs within 2 weeks after initial presentation.

4.    Memory impairment

Memory impairment may occur after a Lyme disease infection. Usually, the bacteria in question can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. When this happens, it can cause inflammation and swelling of the tissues in the brain that’ll lead to memory impairment. Difficulty retrieving vocabulary, brain fog, short-term memory loss, and confusion are common symptoms.

Stem cell therapy is an appropriate treatment that can be used to prevent the complications of Lyme disease. Stem cell therapy in Phoenix, Arizona is one of the best possible treatments you can have for the prevention and management of Lyme disease.

Have you been bitten by an infected black-legged tick or deer tick lately? Are you experiencing some symptoms of Lyme disease currently? Kindly book an appointment with our stem cell therapy Phoenix, AZ center for state-of-the-art management of Lyme disease