Lyme Disease Long Term

Lyme Disease Long Term
Researchers have recently reported that Lyme disease long term effects are more than they had previously thought. This follows the results of studies that were done on patients at Lymes and neurology clinics throughout the country. It was observed that member of the general population who had suffered from this disease in their lives experienced similar long-term problems.

The research, which was carried out by a team of experts from Brigham Women's Hospital indicates that both cognitive and physical wellbeing of the 38 adults had been affected in the long-term consideration. All these patients had developed the disease in the period ranging between 1 and 11 years. A comparison was made between them and 43 residents from the same town (Boston) who had not had the infection.

The group that had previously suffered from Lyme reported higher extents of memory impairment, joint pain, fatigue and many other musculoskeletal problems. The groups that had never been affected by the disease did not have these problems. The researchers asserted that presence of joint pain was the best predictor for showing that one had previously suffered from the Lyme disease.

Thirteen of all the 38 members of the community who had previously suffered from Lyme suffered from long-term illnesses that could directly be attributed to the Lyme infection. It was clear that delays in diagnosis and treatment of Lymes resulted in presence of more persistent long-term health problems.

An additional note that resulted from the research and which the researchers emphasized on is about the need for eradicating B. burgdorferi.

B. burgdorferi is a bacterium that brings about the Lyme disease. They insisted that if the bacterium is left untreated for a long time, there are high chances that it will penetrate into the joints and ultimately get into the central nervous system.

All members of the group reported that they had taken antibiotics as a form of treatment but admitted that none had adhered to what a physician would call 'optimal treatment'. For instance, only 19 patients said they had received Lyme antibiotics within one month since the onset of the symptoms. All the subjects in this research were adults.

In sharp contrast, a control study done on the pediatric population showed no effects after the expiry of a two-year follow-up. The researchers, however, fear that the effects of this disease in children might occur after two years. The research was done on 17 children.