Lyme disease is caused due to a bacterial infection transmitted through a deer tick’s bite. The disease isn’t easy to diagnose as there aren’t any exact tests for it.
Let us understand the Lyme disease test for the diagnosis of Lyme disease in detail.
How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that transmits through the bite of a young deer tick or black-legged tick. Because these ticks are so small, people often don't realise they've been bitten. The longer a tick remains attached, the more the likelihood it will transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.
If you've been in areas where ticks live and start showing symptoms, you must inform your doctor.
Early symptoms of a tick bite may include:
- Rash resembling a "bull's-eye"
- Headaches
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
Symptoms appearing weeks to months after the bite can include:
- Dizziness
- Nerve pain
- Shortness of breath
- Additional rashes on body
- Facial palsy (i.e., drooping or loss of muscle tone in your face)
- Tingling in hands and feet
- Severe joint pain or swelling
- Racing heart
- Memory problems
Symptoms may come and go and vary depending on the disease stage.
Is There a Blood Test For Lyme Disease?
Without timely treatment, Lyme disease can lead to issues with your joints, heart, and nervous system, and it can even affect your memory. If you've been in areas where ticks live and start showing symptoms, make sure that you inform your doctor. They will consider your outdoor exposure and symptoms to diagnose Lyme disease.
To determine if you have Lyme disease, your doctor might recommend two specific blood tests to detect signs of your body's response to the infection. These tests yield the most accurate results a few weeks after infection.
The first test is the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). This test doesn't detect the Lyme disease bacteria directly but looks for antibodies your immune system produces to fight Borrelia burgdorferi. Although commonly used, the ELISA test isn't perfect. It can sometimes produce false positive results. Additionally, if taken too soon after infection, your body might not have produced enough antibodies, leading to a false negative result.
Regardless of your ELISA test results, your doctor will also conduct a Western blot test for Lyme diagnosis. This test uses electricity to separate specific proteins in your blood into patterns, which are then compared to those of people known to have Lyme disease. If at least five bands match, you likely have Lyme disease. However, not all labs have identical standards, so results can vary between labs.
Some labs offer Lyme tests using urine or other body fluids, but these methods are not FDA-approved and often produce inaccurate results, potentially leading to a misdiagnosis.
Lyme disease, also called "The Great Imitator," can mimic many other health conditions. Your doctor may perform additional blood or imaging tests to rule out diseases like Alzheimer's, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit disorder, fibromyalgia, Guillain-Barre syndrome, ALS, lupus, mononucleosis, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. These comprehensive tests ensure an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.
Conclusion
In this blog, you learned about Lyme disease detection in detail. This disease is often tricky to diagnose and can be misdiagnosed. To protect yourself from financial emergencies during such diseases, it is important that you invest in health insurance.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your general physician or another certified medical professional for any questions regarding a medical condition. Relying on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk, and ICICI Lombard is not responsible for any effects or consequences resulting from the use of the information shared.
Also Read: