posted
I often see the statement that fewer than 50% of individuals with lyme experience the EM rash or recall getting bitten by a tick. What is the origin of this claim, and how accurate is it?
Posts: 24 | From Los Angeles | Registered: Apr 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
i dont know the origin of the percentage with lyme figures;however, I do know that the rash is a reaction to the enzymes in tick spit. I, myself did not experience a rash. Anyone else?
Posts: 719 | From Delaware | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by iceskater: i dont know the origin of the percentage with lyme figures;however, I do know that the rash is a reaction to the enzymes in tick spit. I, myself did not experience a rash. Anyone else?
I don't know about the numbers either, but I've read that the EM rash is NOT a reaction to the tick spit; it is a reaction to the Lyme bacteria in the skin. That's why EM rash is diagnostic for Lyme disease. It's also why you can have multiple EM rashes away from the site of the tick bite.
It is possible to have a rash that is a reaction to tick spit but that wouldn't be an EM rash - it would appear sooner and disappear more quickly than an EM.
(Not sure how good this resource is for other Lyme info)
I never had a rash either, or even recall a bite, so I was just curious about the validity of the statement.
Posts: 24 | From Los Angeles | Registered: Apr 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Think of it this way: those who say the rash happens most of the time are only looking at the population of patients who meet CDC criteria. By CDC standards, you need to have either the rash OR positive tests + a specific CDC-defined manifestation (like frank arthritis). That's a limited definition meant for surveillance, doesn't include everyone with Lyme - but DOES include everyone who gets a rash. So if you look only at the CDC cases, you're naturally going to find that a high percentage gets the rash. (Higher than is really true.)
When you think about it, every single person with Lyme who doesn't meet CDC criteria has not had the rash. So add all those people in and the percentage would drop. (How many exactly? who knows!) This is the source of the disagreement.
I believe the 40%-50% figures come from studies of people who were diagnosed with lyme clinically, but I'm not sure. You might want to check this out (paragraph 7): http://www.ilads.org/publications_phillips_2006.htmPosts: 621 | From US | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Also, most people who are bitten do not recall the tickbite. This is not controversial, both sides agree. The tick secretes a chemical so you don't feel a thing.
Posts: 621 | From US | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't think any of the statistics are very accurate. I think there are many different scenarios that have occurred.
There are some Lyme patients that never had an EM. Then there are some who had an EM, but never even noticed it because of its location. Then there are those who did see an EM. And then there are those who noticed an EM, but the physician not being educated enough thought it was a spider bite or something else other than an EM.
With all of these scenarios, who knows what the true stats are when defining how often EM's appear in Lyme patients.
-------------------- The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back. -Abigail van Buren (Pauline Esther Friedman) (1918-2002) Posts: 409 | From Florida | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
i'm curious about that em rash. everything i've read says "expanding" but mine did not expand, lasted only a couple of days then disappeared.
was oily looking on top, shiny, and itched like crazy. was on the inside of my left knee. had a hole in the middle was red, surrounded by white, then another really messy area that was pimply red, oozy looking. was gross.
so does the em rash HAVE to expand or not???
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
My daughter had 5 rashes at once, all different shapes & sizes (none perfect circles) and not one had a tick bite mark inside it.
The rashes appeared a few weeks after she had a vicious fever & was incredibly ill; pediatrician said it was a summer flu. She was so sick I had to support her when she wanted to go to the bathroom. She was moaning saying she had never felt this way before.
"Summer flu". Thank goodness for the rashes, weeks later. Eight years later, she is still a sick person, a teen who cannot play sports & barely makes it through a shortened day at school.
"Summer flu". The beginning of a child's life with constant pain and illness.
"Summer flu", no rashes at that time.
Edith
Posts: 424 | From Connecticut, USA | Registered: Nov 2003
| IP: Logged |
Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
The only rash I ever had was diagnosed as ring worm....
My daughter and son had it as well..
Who knows?
How often are rashes misdiagnosed????!!!
Another piece of the puzzle in this never ending quest to pin down Lyme disease.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic