Children, Ticks & Lyme Disease

I attribute all my grey hair, which I will color over until I die, to my kids! Having kids can be a vicious cycle of all kinds of calamities and chaos. So, I guess it should have been no surprise that my two year old contracted Lyme Disease through a tick bite.

I noticed what looked like a mosquito bite on her upper right arm yesterday morning and by evening it had formed into a bull’s eye rash that was warm to the touch. I hopped on the internet because I remember hearing about the rash being related to a tick bite and wanted to confirm my suspicions. Low and behold, my suspicions were correct and this morning I called the pediatrician and took my daughter in for an appointment.

The doctor agreed with my diagnosis. We discussed having a blood test done, which is the only way to really know for sure, but the doctor said the results would take too long to come back and she did not want to waste time concerning treatment. I did ask if there were other illness associated with that type of rash and she said if it was something else than Hannah would have more than one rash spot. The doctor prescribed antibiotics three times a day for two weeks and told me to call if Hannah became ill or developed any other symptoms. She did reassure me that we probably caught the infection early and Hannah would be fine as long as we stuck to the antibiotics.

As I researched the effects of the infection on the body, it did kind of bring home the importance of early diagnosing of illnesses and treatment of injuries. I was amazed at all the different ilnesses that Lyme Disease causes that could be a permanent part of your life if not treated in a timely manner.

Three stages of infection:

• early localized-rash develops within 1 to 4 weeks after bite and about 50% of people experience the bull’s eye rash
• early disseminated- illnesses can develop within 1 to 4 months if not treated early
• late persistent-damage to joints, nerves and the brain can occur after several months or even years if left untreated

Possible illnesses associated with Lyme Disease and delayed treatment:

• Arthritis
• Bell’s Palsy
• Long term fatigue
• Joint pain
• Irregular Heartbeat
• Meningitis
• Head Aches
• Memory Lapses

Tips on Avoiding Tick Bites:

• Use an insect repellent
• Wear long sleeve shirts and tuck your pants in your socks or shoes if you’re going outside
• Wear light colored clothing to see ticks better
• If you find a tick on you then remove it immediately or see your healthcare provider to remove it

How to remove a tick:

• With tweezers, grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible, pulling gently and steadily.
• Be patient trying to remove the tick. Ticks secrete a special substance that "cements" them to your skin.
• Save the tick for identification, if possible. Wash the bite with soap and water.
• If the tick's mouthparts remain embedded in your skin, make sure to remove them.
• Don't attempt to burn a tick with a lit match or use other products (like petroleum jelly) on the tick.

Below, I have included links to some websites that contain valuable information regarding Lyme Disease and tick bites.

*****Please do not use this HubPage as your exclusive diagnosis but see your healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment if you suspect an infection*****