Chronic Borreliosis

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Chronic borreliosis

Chronic borreliosis is characterized by the following manifestations: frequent colds, small punctate rash or different sizes of erythema, all kinds of skin changes, intense or moderate headache, various chest pains, significant heart rhythm disturbances, arthritis and a steady memory impairment.

With this disease, imbalance, as well as hearing or vision impairment, can be detected in adults. If you have ever been bitten by a tick, then such factors may indicate chronic borreliosis. It is necessary to consult a doctor to completely eliminate such ailment.

How to avoid chronic borreliosis?

In order to prevent the appearance of chronic borreliosis, after a tick bite, you must try to carefully pull it out directly from the thickness of the human skin. The tick must be removed so that it remains intact. Do not forget to pre-treat the victim's skin with alcohol. After removing the tick, it must be taken to a laboratory for special research. Experts must determine if a given tick is infected with any dangerous microorganisms.

In the event that pathogens were found in the tick in the cavity of its intestine, the victim will have to pass a mandatory blood test for certain antibodies and for tick-borne mixed infections. However, during such a period, these antibodies should not be, since such antibodies to borrelia, as a rule, appear somewhat later - about 3-4 weeks after the bite.

If characteristic borreliosis erythema or flu-like symptoms are found immediately after tick removal, then the necessary treatment should be started even before all test results are received from the laboratory. This will avoid chronic borreliosis in the future.

If during the research it is found that the tick was infected with an infection, mandatory prophylactic treatment with a suitable antibiotic, such as doxycycline, is prescribed. Such a course is usually no more than 10 days with a dosage of 200 mg twice a day (tetracycline drugs are prescribed only in stage 1 of the disease for no more than 10 days, taking into account the serious side effects of this group). Immediately after the treatment, it is necessary to donate blood for analysis for the presence of antibodies to borrelia in the M and G titers.

In addition, if possible, it is advisable to pass an analysis also for other dangerous tick-borne infections. It is these simple preventive measures that will help protect the affected person from developing a serious chronic form of borreliosis.

The clinical picture of the course of chronic borreliosis

Such a complex stage of the disease often provokes a significant suppression of the victim's immune system. At the same time, the patient's body cannot protect itself from various infectious diseases. During this period, herpes viruses are often activated, and existing chronic diseases are exacerbated.

In addition, chronic borreliosis often contributes to the onset of serious autoimmune diseases. This is especially true for people with unusual hereditary tendencies. And such serious autoimmune diseases include vasculitis, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Borreliosis of this type in some cases causes the most dangerous syndrome of chronic fatigue.

When a person's immune system is severely suppressed, the body does not function properly. At the same time, in blood tests, the presence of antibodies to Borrelia is not determined, since Borrelia multiply very slowly compared to ordinary bacteria. Despite the possibilities of modern medicine, the diagnosis of such a disease is very difficult.

It is not always possible to compare existing or recurring symptoms. They are strange and incomprehensible. Borreliosis is characterized by chills, spots on the skin, conjunctivitis, dizziness, severe headaches and rather intense chest pains. Also noteworthy is myalgia, weakness, memory loss, arrhythmias, joint pain, and possible problems with the patient's bladder. This implies the need for long-term and constant monitoring of a particular patient.

It is believed that chronic borreliosis is almost impossible to completely cure. However, it must be treated in any case. Sequential therapy is performed to suppress borrelia in order to maximize the restoration of human immunity. Due to the improved immunity, there is always a relief of all the symptoms that are directly related to such a dangerous infection. After the treatment, periods of remission are possible, alternating with relapses.

In extremely rare cases, the recurrent nature of chronic borreliosis is observed in almost continuous manifestation. This usually happens when you have arthritis, osteoporosis, or degenerative changes.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".