Re:Ticks may be the next global health threat
by pmoriarty on Wednesday January 31, 2018 @01:14PM
(#16276041)
Regarding watching out for the bullseye rash (ie. "EM rash"):
I didn't even notice mine (though it was 4" in diameter) until after I was diagnosed with Lyme disease (via blood tests), because the rash was on my back -- a place I don't regularly look or check. I also had no idea I was bitten by a tick, or even had any ticks on my body. My biggest mistake was probably just not wearing insect repellent while going in to the woods in an area that had a high incidence of Lyme disease.
Regarding antibiotic treatment -- my own treatment wasn't painful, but more annoying than anything because the antibiotics made my skin very light-sensitive, so I had to mostly stay indoors with the blinds drawn. It's the period before the treatment that was miserable, as I had all sorts of painful symptoms.
I didn't even notice mine (though it was 4" in diameter) until after I was diagnosed with Lyme disease (via blood tests), because the rash was on my back -- a place I don't regularly look or check. I also had no idea I was bitten by a tick, or even had any ticks on my body. My biggest mistake was probably just not wearing insect repellent while going in to the woods in an area that had a high incidence of Lyme disease.
Regarding antibiotic treatment -- my own treatment wasn't painful, but more annoying than anything because the antibiotics made my skin very light-sensitive, so I had to mostly stay indoors with the blinds drawn. It's the period before the treatment that was miserable, as I had all sorts of painful symptoms.