Meaning and Definition of Lyme disease

Definition of Lyme disease

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium of Spirochetes type by its enrrollada or corkscrew called Borrelia burgdorferi. It is endemic in the United States, Mexico and several European countries.
Lyme disease is an entity having feature is its ability to simulate any other disease, there which is known as the great imitator.
The bacterium normally has as a reservoir to animals like mice and deer, to be transmitted to humans is necessary to an intermediate vector, which in this case is the tick, and even its nymph form, once this insect bites the polluted reservoir transmits the disease to humans through the bite.
This disease has several phases, each with different manifestations; After the sting occurs an acute phase, then comes the subacute phase and finally the chronic phase.
The first acute phase or phase is characterized by the appearance of a high red circular lesion, not painful that grows with the feature that is forming a ring whose center is made up of healthy skin, these injuries usually reach 5 centimeters and is located on the site of the tick bite; flu-like symptoms characterized by malaise, headache, nasal congestion and inflammation of the lymph nodes can occur simultaneously.
After one to two weeks after the bite, and up to three or four months later, starts the second phase of the disease where the bacteria spreads throughout the tissues of the body, especially in the muscles, heart and nervous system. This dissemination makes symptoms such as fever, headache, neck stiffness, pain in muscles and joints and even swelling joint, these annoyances tend to compromise the general State of the patient causing him discomfort, fatigue and even prostration.
Finally, there is a group of patients that prolonged demonstrations, develop this due to their immune system which helps keep the infection or the immune system to recognize own tissues as non-triggering an autoimmune response, is against itself.
The manifestations of this late phase of the disease appear about a year after acquiring the infection, are predominantly type arthritis, i.e., inflammation and enlargement of the joints. Also arise lesions on the skin that are initially red and then you are rinsing until it very thin by cutaneous atrophy, as well as neurological symptoms characterized by headache, numbness of the limbs, irritability and memory disorders by affecting the nervous system.
The best way to prevent this disease is to reduce contact with ticks and go to the doctor if he has been stung by some, often after the bite remain attached to the body so it is possible to identify them. This condition is treated with the use of antibiotics, if treatment is started so early, i.e. within the first three days after the bite or when present are symptoms of the acute phase, it can be cured by completely avoiding the appearance of sequelae.