By Henry J. Fishman, M.D.
ConsumerAffairs.com
April 7, 2006
Diagnosing, treating and preventing Lyme arthritis -- or Lyme Disease -- is tougher than ever before.
Lyme arthritis is a tick-borne bacterial disease. Doctors diagnose it by looking for a bull's-eye rash with a red outside and a clear inside.
According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, however, only about 10 percent of 118 patients had the rash.
With or without the rash, doctors often use an antibody blood test to diagnose the problem. But the antibody test doesn't pick up the disease early in its course.
Preventing Lyme arthritis is no fun either. There was a vaccine but it was taken off the market a few years ago because it didn't work very well and led to lawsuits.
So for now, the best way to avoid Lyme arthritis is to avoid grassy, wooded areas. Use an insect repellant and clothe up from head to toe. If you see a tick or suspect Lyme Disease, call your doctor for a blood test and antibiotics as soon as possible.
