In most cases doctors look for antibodies building in a child’s body when it comes to lyme disease and its treatment.
Since it takes time for the immune system to build such antibodies, it may be possible that the test may come negative but your child still is suffering from the Lyme disease.
Also, extra care is asked for in case of a child who has suffered from such disease in the past as infection can surge fast.
While current tests work mostly to find out the child’s conditions, a deep evaluation of ticks is essential to start upon a better lyme disease treatment.
How is the lyme disease treated?
It is mostly treated through the help of antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime giving them to a child for several weeks.
In order to kill all the bacteria, it’s essential that your child complete the entire course of medicine and the child should require extra care for such type of infectious disease.
However, if your child is not responding to oral antibiotics or the disease has reached the central nervous system, then antibiotics have to be given intravenously (through an IV).
This is helpful also as the child doesn’t need to be hospitalized and a nurse can come home or can teach the family member to proceed through an IV.
Though in the case of children who are facing arthritis, it’s better to give them anti-inflammatory medicines to balance.
How can lyme disease be prevented?
Unfortunately, there is no specific vaccine for lyme diseases, but you can prevent the disease by removing tick bites, checking for ticks, and removing ticks promptly, here are some tips to control the ticks.
Avoid tick playgrounds
- Avoid tick like shrubs or grasses especially at the edge of woody area
- During hiking, stay in the center of the trail and avoid bushwhacking
- Walk on clear area and pavement when passing through the wooded area if possible
Dress appropriately
- Long pants covering the body help ticks not stick with skin
- Avoid light color clothes as ticks may visible in them
- Ensure that your clothes stay intact and don’t let the tick lodge on skin
Insect repellent
- Certain products do come that kill ticks but they can’t be absolutely perfect
- Use a brand that is child safe if your child is 1 year or older
- For infants find out the brands that are in use and effective
- You can use permethrin in clothes that are known to kill ticks.
Mostly than anything, it’s essential to have a small shower after outdoor activities as it takes 4 to 6 hours for ticks to attach and you need your child to be given extra care.
It would remain tick-free and with a well-performed shower, the child would feel better too.
Other concerns
Check yourself and your family for ticks in the area where they are common, even if you have only been out in a yard.
Black-legged ticks are a small millimeter in size so make sure you check your child’s body very clearly.
You and your child must do a body search every day, visually inspecting body parts that may include:
- All body parts that bend: behind the knees, between the fingers and toes, underarms and groins
- Other parts where ticks are known to be common: belly button, in and behind the ear, hairline and head
- Anywhere clothing presses on the skin
What to do if ticks are found?
Don’t panic as the lyme disease starts with a smaller black-legged tick and later expands to larger ones.
Conclusion
The risk with such a tick is low as it is slow to respond but you need to take care of your child.
If you find a tick on your child’s body, remove it with a pair of tweezers, Grasp the body of the tick and pull it upwards so it can be removed.
Do not squeeze or twitch the tick’s body, note the color and size and also the time frame you think it was attached to your child’s body.
If your child has been more than 24 hours in touch with the tick, refer to the hospital and some antibiotics have to be referred to.
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