the good doctor on: Lyme Disease

This week we step away from the COVID situation and look at something in my back yard.

I am talking about Charadrius vociferous and what it means for our lives. This is the genus and species for the Killdeer, a bird that we see often enough in the Hamilton region, but, until now, did not frequent our yard. I think it was the feral cat that we had in our outbuildings that had a big part in this. He is no longer with us and so a killdeer set up a nest on our gravel drive. There has been much excitement at our house with the prospect of four little baby “plovers” running around in less than four weeks.

I am also talking about Borrelia burgdorferi, which is also prevalent at this time of year. This is the spirochete that causes Lyme disease. Our clinic is on the watch for patients who come in with red eyes, a form of conjunctivitis that can occur in a later stage of the disease. The key to Lyme disease is early prevention. Some deer ticks carry the bacteria and must be on the body for at least 48 hours to infect. With us being in the outdoors a lot this time of year, and especially after three months of COVID cabin fever, we need to be more acquainted with this little fella.

The tick lives in grassy areas and can jump onto us as we go by. No paranoia, just a quick check of your skin, places like cuffs of socks and sleeves, head bands around hats, and a scalp check also, after being outdoors. If you detect a tick, carefully remove it and show it to your physician or resident entomologist. Only the deer tick carries the bacteria, and early treatment is critical. Best course is to see your physician immediately, who will prescribe oral antibiotics for one to two weeks, which will most frequently prevent further problems. The optometrist will see manifestations in the eye when the disease moves from the site to the rest of the body. Hopefully this does not happen. Check with the Mayo Clinic website for more information.

Again, go outside and enjoys our great outdoors, but when you come in, be vigilant and check for those nasty ticks.

Til next week,

The Good Doctor, Dr. Mark Germain, Burlington Eyecare

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