Doctors Say Lyme Disease Now 'Major Healthcare Crisis'

Lyme borreliosis, or what's more commonly known as Lyme disease, is an infectious disease that's transmitted through tick bites. It's unclear when and where the disease originated. But what is clear is that Lyme disease rates have steadily increased over the years -- a trend that doctors believe will continue. In fact, many doctors and medical experts are sounding the alarm, calling Lyme disease a major healthcare crisis.

How Serious is Lyme Disease?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 300,000 people are infected with Lyme disease each year in the United States. What's even more troubling, however, is that only 10% of these cases are accurately diagnosed. Over the past 20 years, the CDC believes that Lyme disease cases have skyrocketed by more than 320%, attesting to the growing problem of this wide-reaching illness.

Symptoms

Lyme disease is known to cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which include fever, rash, muscle pain, joint pain, headaches and fatigue. The problem is that these symptoms are often produced by other diseases and conditions, leading to misdiagnosis. Many doctors misdiagnose patients' condition as being something else, when in reality the cause of the symptoms is Lyme disease.

Assuming a patient experiences the same characteristic symptoms for at least three to six months, however, some physicians may classify the patient's condition as chronic Lyme disease. Even so, many doctors still misdiagnose the condition as chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, both of which mimic the symptoms of Lyme disease.

Transmission

Lyme disease is transmitted through the saliva of an infected tick, with most transmissions occurring in the northeastern U.S. However, health officials say Lyme disease is becoming more common in other parts of the country.

You can protect yourself from Lyme disease by following some simple steps when outdoors, such as covering your exposed skin, wearing a tick/insect repellent, and checking yourself for ticks. If you notice a tick, recover it ASAP. Normally, an infected tick must be attached to its host for a minimum of 24 hours to transmit Lyme disease.

Why the Rise of Lyme Disease?

So, why are cases of Lyme disease on the rise? Some experts believe it's because more and more people are spending time outdoors.

"When you’re looking at the future generations of America—playing on the lawn, the mothers transmitting it, the blood supply—the numbers that the CDC are seeing, which we know are underestimates because the tests are not picking it up, you’re really dealing with a very major healthcare crisis at this point that has not been properly dealt with ,” explained Dr. Richard Horrowitz.