RAMBLERS BEWARE OF TICK BITES

Sunday 4 July 2010

RAMBLERS BEWARE OF TICK BITES

To Watch this tick in motion click here which will take you to the video on Lyme Disease Action Facebook page.

WILDLIFE EXTRA NEWS

see the full article here

Watch out for ticks & Lyme disease now the warm weather is here

07/06/2010 12:13:44

Lyme disease on the increase in the UK

Soon summer will be in full swing and many of us will be spending more time wildlife watching, walking, climbing, cycling and camping. Few, however, will be aware of, or indeed prepared for, the hidden danger of tick bites and what can come with them - Lyme disease.
The highest risk period for tick bites is from May to October when the tick is most active and feeding.
Ticks - tiny (the size of a full stop on an A4 page) blood-sucking parasites - are present in woods, moors and parks throughout the UK; London parks are no exception, and tick numbers are on the rise due to changing habitats and climate. Lyme disease, caused by the bite of an infected tick, is also on the rise, and is found throughout North America, across the UK and Europe, and Scandinavia - so it's important for everyone, at home and on holiday, to know what to look out for and to seek early treatment if necessary.

What is Lyme disease and what are its symptoms? Lyme disease is caused by the bite of an infected tick and causes a wide range of symptoms which may include a circular red "bull's eye" rash, headaches, a stiff neck, extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and disturbances of sight, hearing, digestive system and sleep.

My comments on the above article included :-

It took 5 doctors and 3 Rheumatologist 4 years to diagnose me. I was diagnosed with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Arthritis, Musculo skeletal disease, and eventually Lyme Disease. A chance course of antibiotics significantly improved my symptoms and led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease. There had been other cases of Lyme disease at my surgery. I had presented at the surgery at times of bites, bulls eye rashes, summer flu and migrating arthralgias before chronic illness and disability set in all had been documented on my records.

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Lyme Life written in 2009

I started suffering with arthritis in mainly my large joints especially my knees 6 years ago. The symptoms varied and I remember saying that every joint was affected except my elbows to one doctor. I was told it would be hormonal and to take the usual supplements cod liver oil or glucosamine ( I would certainly recommend buying shares in the companies producing these supplements) They had no noticeable affect.

All my symptoms deteriorated significantly over a few weeks,4 years ago. Hips shoulders and knees being the worst and I started with muscle weakness in upper arms and upper legs. I had difficulty standing and walking across a room. I was unable to walk upstairs and my husband was making plans to convert to a downstairs bedroom. I had seen 5 doctors and 3 Rheumatologists and put on steroids for Poly Myalgia Rheumatica diagnosis. I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

I have X rays and scans showing signs of osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. ( later note.- the X rays done some years into treatment showed my hands completely normal no signs of inflammation or RA confirming how they felt - normal) I have been retired early from the Civil Service having lost my job not to mention my earning potential. My illness seemed to progress through my body not affecting the same joints left to right at the same time. I had bursitis in left hip, right hip, left elbow. I had synovial thickening in both wrists. At that time I could not lift and hold a magazine so lifting a kettle I could only do if a third full and with two hands. Each joint in my hands fingers feet and toes were affected. I had swallowing difficulties and many other symptoms. None of this describes the endless and awful pain whenever I moved or the tiredness but inability to get quality sleep.

Two years ago my GP gave me Amoxicilin for a sinus/throat/chest infection. All my arthritis symptoms improved. The course ended the symptoms deteriorated I started a second course the symptoms improved. The improvement was more significant than when I had started taking steroids. This led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease. I laughed because we do not travel abroad but she said they had had other cases in the surgery in the early stages of tick bite and Erythma Migrans rash. She said but you have not had a bite. I said oh yes I have I had two on my ankles with rashes, March 05 this was confirmed on her computer when I had seen a locum doctor. My worst symptoms were waking up feeling rigid and having to painfully flex every joint in my body before struggling to get up. The only other time I had experienced this was in May 2003 during a flu like illness like no other I had ever experienced. At that time I had a bite and similar rash on my right foot which lasted like the other rashes about four weeks. I had also consulted the surgery and it was dismissed as a virus. I walked our dog daily in the woods adjacent to our house where the deer roam, prime tick area. Thus started my very lengthy search about Lyme Disease leading me through Lyme Disease Action to a doctor who specialises in this illness. He confirmed my GP's suspicions. I never had a positive blood test but then they are antigen tests and there is much research that shows they are unreliable. In my case the year of steroids and many weeks antibiotics could have affected the results. So with a clinical diagnosis and following ILADS International Lyme and Associated Disease Society guidelines I continued on antibiotics for two years. Both my doctors continued to treat me despite of Health Protection Agency advising against long term antibiotics. I am now nearly 100% recovered I have no pain or muscle weakness. I can walk upstairs something I could not do for three and a half years. I can garden do house work and live a normal life. I still need to pace myself and with only a few months to 60 will not be looking to return to work. Life is such a joy. Sadly there is much controversy about Lyme Disease and doctors in UK are taught that it is so rare. Well where I live in Guildford I have been in contact with a dozen other people with it so perhaps not so rare as HPA would like us to believe. I am in touch with nearly 2000 other patients through a chat line Eurolyme most had been misdiagnosed with several other illnesses. Look at UK charity Lyme Disease Action if you want to read more about this illness. There are many MP's taking an interest in the problems surrounding diagnosis and treatment see above charity links into a recent meeting at the House of Commons.

Thank goodness there are some thinking doctors around who have courageously treated me against opposition and I have made such a miraculous recovery albeit rather a lengthy one. One day there will be many more people who are helped with their chronic illnesses when IDSA starts taking note of what our courageous LLMD’s are doing following ILADS Guidelines.

ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Poly Myalgia Rheumatica, Arthritis, Bell’s Palsy, MS,MN, ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Heart Block, Stroke, Psychiatric, gastric problems the list is endless. Not all suffering from Lyme Borrelia but how many are even properly assessed for it.

UPDATE

UPDATE 10 January 2012

LOOKING AT LYME DISEASE - MSIDS

Sunday 4 July 2010

RAMBLERS BEWARE OF TICK BITES

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