Lyme disease and misdiagnoses

On Behalf of | May 14, 2021 | Failure To Diagnose

Residents of Albuquerque and other parts of New Mexico might want to learn more about how Lyme disease is often mistaken for the flu. Delaying treatment for Lyme disease could lead to severe and debilitating symptoms. It can also be dangerous.

According to a professor of biology, those who spend time outdoors during the summer months, where ticks are common, should consider the bite of a tick as the source of their flu-like illness. Lyme disease has some symptoms in common, so knowing what they are may be helpful.

What symptoms may be mistaken as other illnesses?

A failure to diagnose the symptoms of Lyme disease may lead to problems. Lyme disease and the flu both appear with fever, aches and chills. Fatigue and body aches can also be common symptoms of both.

However, with Lyme disease, there may be an expanding “bull’s-eye rash,” a symptom of a bite by the deer tick. It appears that 70 percent to 80 percent of patients show this.

Early treatment works

If diagnosis and identification are quick, two to four weeks of antibiotics can usually knock it out. Antibiotics kill Borrelia burgdorferi, the species of spirochete bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Safety from tick-born diseases

You should be aware of ticks, and your doctor should consider the possibility of a tick-borne disease rather than only assuming you have the flu or a more common illness.

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