Perreault Magazine - 32 -
People may get exposed to ticks in many outdoor settings, sometimes even in their own backyards. A tick on the ground may crawl onto a shoe and then up to an ankle. Ticks in tall grass may latch on to a person or animal who brushes by. Mattix may have picked up a tick on her arm by petting those Idaho dogs.
After a tick pierces human flesh, it injects an anesthetic, so victims are less likely to notice it. Then, it alternates between sucking blood and spitting saliva. The longer the tick stays attached, the more likely it will transmit any pathogens it harbors.
A person recently infected with Lyme may or may not develop a bull’s-eye rash like the one on Mattix’s arm. There might be a different kind of rash or none at all. A person in the early stages of Lyme may develop flu-like symptoms, such as fever, sore muscles, headache and fatigue—or not. If the illness is caught at this early stage, treatment is usually successful
Unfortunately, that early window of opportunity for effective Lyme treatment can slam shut for many reasons. People may not realize they have been bitten by a tick, may not develop any rashes and may attribute any symptoms to something else. Or, as in the case of Mattix’s experience with the walk-in clinic, treatment may not be long enough to finish the job.
Untreated and undertreated Lyme can burrow deep into the body and contribute to many serious health conditions: heart problems, joint and muscle pain, migraines, gastro-intestinal upsets, a wide range of neurological problems and psychiatric manifestations. In children, Lyme disease can also trigger learning disorders and behavioral issues. At this stage, effective treatment is more difficult.
One reason why Lyme disease can be so tricky to diagnose is because patented commercial tests for Borrelia burgdorferi don’t identify the bacteria itself. Instead, these screening tests look for antibodies to the bacteria. According to San Francisco internist Dr. Raphael Stricker, who specializes in treating Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, there are many reasons why a person with Lyme may have a negative test result. The test may have been given too soon, before antibodies have developed; the immune system may be suppressed; or the person may be infected with a strain of the disease that the test can’t detect.
After a tick pierces human flesh,
it injects an anesthetic,
so victims are less likely to notice it.