Lyme Disease - A Growing Threat That Even The Rich & Famous Can’t Avoid

According to the CDC, In 2015 there were a combined total of 4,224 confirmed and probable cases of Lyme Disease in the state of Massachusetts. The Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs suspects that trends in climate change are increasing the cases of Lyme disease in humans. Regardless of the reasons why, there is no doubt that Lyme Disease is a real threat in Massachusetts. That makes awareness imperative for anyone that spends time outdoors. No one knows this more than Ozzy Osborne’s own daughter Kelly, who included details about her battle with Lyme in her new book.

LYME DISEASE RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT

In an article in Self Magazine, Kelly relays all the treatment she went through before finally being diagnosed with Lyme. Symptoms of Lyme disease can be very vague and varied, so it often isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Most people will compare what they are feeling to that of the common flu, and while you might expect that telltale bullseye rash, truly that only affects a percentage of patients.

Kelly was bitten by a tick that rode into the family’s backyard on a reindeer. It never occurred to her that there could be long lasting effects. It took her ten years to finally be diagnosed with Lyme disease. Throughout that time she worked through a range of symptoms affecting everything from her throat and stomach to her nervous and neurological systems. When she was finally taking more drugs than her body could stand for each symptom, she found a doctor of alternative medicine, and he tested her for Lyme. She was diagnosed with stage 3 neurological Lyme disease. This is a rare stage of the disease, but a great example of why early treatment is important.

In the first stage, the symptoms are as I stated before, flu-like and treated with antibiotics. With treatment in the first stage, a person will likely recover without further issue. Untreated, Lyme disease can cause problems that, for some, are long lasting. In the second stage symptoms in the nervous system may start to appear, such as numbness, pain, and temporary paralysis. The third stage can add joint issues, and neurological symptoms can occur, as they did in Kelly. Chronic Lyme disease is when Lyme disease symptoms linger from the initial disease and can often last for years. Kelly’s 10-year struggle is a harrowing example of the difficulties Lyme disease can cause.

LYME DISEASE PREVENTION

Immediate treatment is so important when it comes to Lyme disease. Knowing that you’ve been in an environment where ticks are prevalent can be the key to diagnosis if you become sick. If you were to discover a tick on you or someone in your family, it’s a great idea to safely remove the ticks and make a note of the date, in case symptoms occur. You can even send the tick in for testing to give you peace-of-mind. But of course, the best treatment is prevention. At Mosquito Squad of Central Massachusetts and Mosquito Squad of the North Shore, we can eliminate 85-90% of ticks in your yard with our barrier treatment and tick tube system. Call us today to lower Lyme risks for your family at home.