How to Diagnose Lyme Disease
The first step in evaluating lyme disorder is to study your medical history. Your doctor will ask if you’ve ever been bitten by a tick or if you live in an endemic region. Several tests and physical exams will also be conducted to check for a rash or any symptom of lyme disease.
You don’t have to undergo any tests in the early stage of the condition. According to research, the most reliable diagnosis a few weeks after the first infection is blood tests. Your doctor may also recommend the doll tests:
- Western blot helps check for an affirmative ELISA test. It is done to know if there are antibodies to specific B. burgdorferi proteins.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) helps observe patients with severe nervous disorders or Lyme arthritis. It evaluates cerebrospinal fluid or joint fluid. Doctors don’t recommend PCR testing on CSF for diagnosis because of its low sensitivity. However, many oatiw get a positive PCR results in joint fluid if done before antibiotic treatment.
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) helps detect antibodies against B. burgdorferi.
Conclusion
Lyme condition is a bacterial infection caused by tick bite. It can lead to death if it is not treated early. The symptoms that manifest depend on the stage of the condition. People who engage in outdoor activities or live in woody areas are susceptible to the condition. Adequate sensitization is the best way to prevent the disease.
Reference:
[1]https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/10880-fever
[2]https://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart-disease/conditions/heart-block
[3]https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bells-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370028
[4]https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/understanding-seizures-basics
[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2375565/
[6]https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/arrhythmia/