Lyme disease is a tick borne illness . It is commonly found in the Northeast and midwest states but can also occur anywhere ticks are found. This condition can be difficult to diagnose.

What are the symptoms of lyme disease  ?

Symptoms include the following :

• a rash shaped like a bull’s eye
• joint and muscle pain
• fever
• chills
• fatigue

Long term symptoms can affect both you and your unborn child. Call your doctor right away if you have been in the woods recently and experiencing these symptoms.

• continual fatigue
• facial paralysis
• arthritis

Untreated lyme disease can be dangerous to both you and your baby. It can cause you to have brain, nerve, spinal cord and heart problems. These complications can be prevented with early treatment.

What you should expect during your appointment ?

If your doctor suspects you have this disease  based on symptoms alone, he will give you 2 to 4 weeks of antibiotics, mostly amoxicillin.

If symptoms are not easy to perceive, your doctor will order a blood test. The blood test is more accurate the longer you have been infected. Blood test may not appear positive until 4 to 5 weeks after infection.

How is lyme disease treated during pregnancy ?

If the affected mother receives treatment, there is no life threatening effect on the fetus.

In general , treatment for pregnant women is similar to that of non pregnant women. However certain antibiotics such as doxycycline, are not used because they can affect fetal development. Treatment usually includes  oral amoxicillin 500 mg three times daily for 2-3 weeks. Women who are allergic to amoxicillin would most likely receive 500 mg cefuroxime axetil twice per day.

Take the antibiotics as recommended and get enough rest.

There are no reports that lyme disease transmission into breast milk.

How to protect from lyme disease

You can protect  yourself by prevention against tick bites. You can get Lyme disease  if you are bitten by another infected tick

Take these steps to protect yourself

• use insect repellent that contains 20 – 30% DEET
• wear clothing that has been treated with permethrin
• take a shower as soon as you can after working outside
• put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 60 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.