Lyme disease is a debilitating disease for many people who live with it. With tick season back in full swing, here’s how to protect yourself.
Some people who live with Lyme disease go without a proper medical diagnosis for months or even years. Many have lingering symptoms.
Lyme disease is an illness caused by bacteria transmitted to humans through the bites of certain species of ticks, including deer ticks, aka black-legged ticks, in the US (Ixodes scapularis or Ixodes pacificus).
And while it’s been underdiagnosed or even misunderstood by the medical community, experts are warning the insects that cause it are a growing problem throughout the US.
Traditionally, Lyme disease thought of as a problem in the wooded Northeastern region of the US. Last year, however, reports started showing that Lyme disease is a growing problem in most parts of the country, including California and even urban areas.
Dr. James Marvel, an emergency medicine doctor at Stanford Health Care and wilderness medicine expert, has researched the contributing factors to the spread of Lyme disease in the US. In a July CNET interview, he said that data over the last few decades shows that Lyme disease has “blossomed” in a number of US states and counties, particularly in the Northeast.
