Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. It is transmitted to individuals by a bite from an infected deer tick. The tick gets infected after feeding on mice or deer. In the case of Lyme disease, the tick latches onto the skin for a duration of one to two days. Most people who have suffered from Lyme disease do not have any memory of a tick bite. Hence, it is essential to know about the treatment and prevention methods to help you be safe from this disease:

1. How to treat Lyme disease
It is recommended to treat Lyme disease during the early stages by giving the infected patient a simple course of antibiotics for a period of two-three weeks to help eliminate all traces of infection. The following medications can be used to treat Lyme disease:

• Amoxicillin and cefuroxime for women, who are breastfeeding or nursing, younger kids, and adults
• Doxycycline for kids, who are more than eight years old, and adults

Chronic or persistent Lyme disease is treated for two to three weeks with the help of intravenous antibiotics. This kind of treatment helps eliminate the infection. However, the symptoms show improvement gradually.

2. Prevention of Lyme disease
Explained below are some important preventive measures that you must follow to stay protected from this disease.

• Make use of tick repellents
  Make it a point to spray tick repellents on shoes and clothes before entering locations infected with ticks. Use a repellent that has 20 to 50 per cent diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) for adults to prevent tick bites. Although repellents are quite effective, they can have some serious side-effects, especially when high concentrations are used repeatedly on the skin. There is a high possibility that children and infants may suffer because of bad reactions from DEET. Permethrin is another kind of DEET. It helps to kill ticks on contact. This can be purchased from stores that have outdoor products and gear. Applying it once to shoes and clothing can prove to be quite effective.
• Dress appropriately
  Following some dressing rules can help you avoid ticks. Make it a point to wear long socks, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants to keep ticks away from the skin. To keep the hair protected, wear a hat. If you have long hair, tie it up. To spot ticks easily consider wearing light-colored clothing. Avoid wearing sandals or slippers, as these expose your feet.
• Check for ticks regularly
  The American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF) states that the ideal line of defense to contract Lyme disease is to test yourself once a day and get free from any ticks before they get swollen with blood. You must conduct tick checks even in your own yard after being outdoors the entire day.
• Check different body parts for ticks
  You must check various body parts such as the armpits, navel, waist, buttocks, groin area, scalp, and neck to see if there are any ticks or not.