Antibiotics: Main Treatment for Lyme Disease

     Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by deer ticks. In the US, the Northeast, upper Midwest, and northern California are the areas most heavily affected by this condition. Asia and Europe also are affected by Lyme disease. The condition may cause flu-like symptoms, neurological problems, joint pain, and rash. The rash typically appears within several days to a month at the site of the bite. The redness associated with the bite expands over the next few days, eventually resembling a bull’s eye type pattern, with a red center surrounded by a clear area with a red ring around the area. The affected area may vary in size from a dime to up to twelve inches across.

     The specific bacteria carried by deer ticks which causes Lyme disease is Borrelia burgdorferi. Oral antibiotics are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease in children and adults. For those older than eight years of age, doxycycline is usually the antibiotic prescribed. Cefuroxime axetil is another antibiotic that may be prescribed for younger children, as well as adults. Typically, an antibiotic treatment course ranges from 10 to 21 days, which is usually sufficient for treatment as well as prevention of complications. For more advanced forms of Lyme disease, intravenous antibiotics may be necessary for 2 to 4 weeks.