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What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease?

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Posted on Mon, 11 May 2015
Question: Hello, Yesterday my husband was doing yard work and thought he had gotten a sliver in his right hip. It turned out to be a tick, with it's head just barely having broken the skin and was easily removed, head intact, between my husbands pinched fingers. Unfortunately, I made him flush the ugly thing immediately so we have no idea what kind of tick it was.We saturated the area with alcohol and then applied triple antibiotic ointment and covered it with a bandage. An hour and a half later we changed the dressing and laid a new coating of the ointment. This morning there was a red circle, with an obvious indentation, and it looked like a fresh burn, perhaps like a cigarette would make, although smaller. Tonight we repeated the ointment and fresh bandage, and find the would is a little larger that a cigarette would leave, still red, but now with an interior circle-ish area that is white, and a black pin point center. I will attach a photo. The total time the tick could have been on my husband could not have been longer that 20 to 30 minutes. I looked at the insect with my jewelers loupe headgear and it was not bloated and filled with blood, and seemed smaller than ones I've seen before, but black, unlike the reddish or pinkish pictures that came up when I looked them up on my computer. We live in Coos Bay Oregon, southern coastal part of the state, the ocean not 1/4 mile away, the bay literally across the driveway. Is there something we should be watching for, something else we should be doing, and are there any tests my husband should submit to? Forgot to mention, the tatoo is on his right buttock, he's had a significant abcess with another recurrence appx. a year later (the x shaped dent) and hip replacement with subsequent avascular necrosis, same right hip, de-coring procedure. I may have gotten the order wrong, could be the procedure then the replacement. Thank you.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Early Lyme disease prevention , T.T vaccination

Detailed Answer:
Hello and Welcome

I appreciate your concern

Most tick bites don't cause any disease or serious health problems. But quick removal of a tick as soon as its found helps in preventing any complications associated with pathogens transmitted by the tick. Most of the times, removing the tick, washing the area site of the bite and waitful watching to see if it causes any flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, vomiting, myalgias. Tetanus Toxoid vaccination should be done. A booster dose is all that would be needed if you have been previously vaccinated.

Lyme Disease is a possibility. It is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. The classic sign is a bulls eye rash which occurs at the site of the tick bite between three to 30 days. The images you uploaded seem to be developing into such a rash at its earlier stages. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test initially and if positive confirmation by Western blot and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be done in consult with your doctor. Treatment can be started without waiting for investigation if a clinical suspicion is there and if the area is endemic for Lyme. Adults with early disease can be started on antibiotics such as Doxycycline, or cefuroxime axetil , in consult with your doctor.

Wishing you best of health

Thanks

Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action.


Dr. M.S. Khalil
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 2906 Questions

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What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease?

Brief Answer: Early Lyme disease prevention , T.T vaccination Detailed Answer: Hello and Welcome I appreciate your concern Most tick bites don't cause any disease or serious health problems. But quick removal of a tick as soon as its found helps in preventing any complications associated with pathogens transmitted by the tick. Most of the times, removing the tick, washing the area site of the bite and waitful watching to see if it causes any flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, vomiting, myalgias. Tetanus Toxoid vaccination should be done. A booster dose is all that would be needed if you have been previously vaccinated. Lyme Disease is a possibility. It is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. The classic sign is a bulls eye rash which occurs at the site of the tick bite between three to 30 days. The images you uploaded seem to be developing into such a rash at its earlier stages. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test initially and if positive confirmation by Western blot and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be done in consult with your doctor. Treatment can be started without waiting for investigation if a clinical suspicion is there and if the area is endemic for Lyme. Adults with early disease can be started on antibiotics such as Doxycycline, or cefuroxime axetil , in consult with your doctor. Wishing you best of health Thanks Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action. Dr. M.S. Khalil