This Tuesday, September 8, 2020, American actress Amy Schumer revealed that she has Lyme disease in a post on Instagram. “Who caught Lyme disease this summer? I have it and I’m on doxycycline. I may have had it for several years. (…) I’m fine and can’t wait to get rid of it“commented the 39-year-old actress.
In 2016, 56,000 French people suffered from Lyme disease. This pathology is transmitted to humans by ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi – most often, in Europe, these are ticks of the genus Ixodes ricinus that cause Lyme disease. These proliferate in the meadows, in the forests, in the gardens, but also sometimes in the city!
Lyme disease: be careful when walking in nature!
Symptoms of Lyme disease can be very varied – which complicates the diagnosis. We can thus observe an erythema migrans (that is to say: a red spot in the shape of a ring which enlarges gradually) in 50% of cases, but also joint pain, headaches, abnormal fatigue , neuro-psychic disorders (problems of concentration and attention, irritability, anxiety…).
The treatment of Lyme disease is primarily based on antibiotic therapy – effective when the pathology is treated early. The doctor will thus prescribe doxycycline, sometimes combined with an antiparasitic (plaquenil). However, Borrelia bacteria can be resistant to antibiotics – this is called chronic Lyme disease.
How to prevent Lyme disease? Firstly, when walking in nature, it is recommended to opt for long and covering clothes: avoid sitting or walking in tall grass, prefer marked paths. In pharmacies, there are effective tick repellents. Two, on returning home, we carry out a careful check to spot any ticks: be careful not to forget the scalp and the folds (behind the knees, behind the ears, etc.).
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