There are different forms of borreliosis - the best known and most
widespread in our country is Lyme borreliosis, named
after the US town of Lyme, where the disease was first described. Lyme
disease primarily affects the skin, the nervous system and the joints. The
disease is transmitted by ticks.
In Germany, depending on the region, every twentieth to third tick is
infected with Borrelia bacteria. The bacteria get into the human
body through a tick bite and can trigger an infection there.
In 2019, 306,000 legally insured patients were diagnosed with Lyme
borreliosis in Germany. The disease particularly affects people between
the ages of 70 and 79.
The disease occurs nationwide, but there are some areas in Germany where the
risk of the disease is significantly increased. More and more cases of
Lyme borreliosis were found in southeast Germany in particular. The
disease occurred more frequently in 45 districts from Brandenburg via Saxony,
Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia to Bavaria. It is unclear why more borreliosis is
being diagnosed in these federal states in particular.
A report by the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance in
Germany suspects that there is an increased incidence of infected ticks of the
species Ixo-des ricinus there. It is also possible that environment factors
such as local weather conditions lead to an increased number of ticks.
For some years now, researchers have known that mosquitoes can also
transmit the pathogen. But only a few mosquitoes are infected with
Borrelia bacteria. The risk of getting Lyme disease from a tick is much
higher.
Only ticks or mosquitoes can pass the Lyme disease bacterium on to
people. The disease cannot be transmit from person to person. Lyme
disease is therefore not contagious.
Symptoms: These are
the signs of Lyme disease
Those affected usually recognize Lyme disease by the so-called wandering redness - a typical sign of the
disease. This is a reddening of the skin that
occurs around the tick bite after a few days to weeks.
In some patients, the rash shows up in
places where the tick hasn't stung. In adults, the rash usually occurs on
the legs; in children, the head or neck is more likely to be affected. As
the disease progresses, the stain slowly spreads outwards. But there are also
cases of Lyme disease without wandering redness. As a result, the disease
cannot always be recognized immediately.
The following symptoms can also occur:
- fever
- headache
- muscle
pain
- Joint
pain
Less
common signs are:
- Nerve
pain
- Numbness
- Visual
disturbances of the eyes
- Hearing
impairment
- Paralysis
Diagnosis: This is
how the doctor diagnoses Lyme disease
If you discover a reddened skin on your skin, you should see a doctor - even if you cannot remember a tick
bite. The reddened skin is clear and sufficient to recognize Lyme disease.
In some cases, the doctor uses further diagnostics :
he determines the antibodies in the blood . In
this blood test, experts speak of serology, as they determine the antibodies in
the serum, i.e. in the liquid part of the blood.
If a person becomes infected with Borrelia bacteria, they form so-called
immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies. A laboratory test detects these
antibodies. If the patient has a high IgM titer, i.e. a high concentration of antibodies in the blood , this
indicates Lyme disease.
But: The antibody blood level alone is not a reliable proof of Lyme
disease. The body needs a few days to produce antibodies. It
is therefore possible that a patient is already suffering from Lyme disease but
does not have a high antibody value. The other way around, it can be that
someone has high values but no Lyme disease. Because after surviving a
Lyme disease infection, IgM antibodies are still detectable in the blood years
later.
The doctor will only make the diagnosis if his patient has high values and signs of Lyme disease ,
such as reddish skin, headaches or feelings of numbness.
There are also so-called rapid tests that
can be obtained from the Internet and used
at home. However, experts advise against this - the tests are too
imprecise.
Treatment: How to get rid of Lyme disease
Doctors treat Lyme disease
with antibiotics . Therapy
is most effective when it begins in the early stages of the
disease. Antibiotic treatment only makes sense if the diagnosis is certain. As
a preventive measure after a tick bite, doctors do not prescribe medication.
The drug of choice for
healing is the antibiotic doxycycline. Children and women during
pregnancy, on the other hand, are given the active ingredient amoxicillin or cefuroxime.
From homeopathy to
cure disease experts advise.
