Is it possible to get lyme disease twice

However, even people who receive antibiotic therapy are at risk. Typically, the symptoms of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome resemble those that occur in earlier stages.

People with persistent symptoms often experience lingering episodes of:. Living with persistent symptoms of Lyme disease after treatment may affect your mobility and cognitive skills. It can also cause extreme lifestyle changes and emotional stress. Some people who experience long-term debilitating symptoms may be willing to try unproven alternative therapies. Talk to your doctor before beginning any new medications or therapies.

Although they may claim to offer a cure, these potentially toxic remedies can result in further health problems. Your doctor will diagnose Lyme disease by using a blood test that checks your level of antibodies to the disease-causing bacteria. These tests may be done at the same time. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend testing of specific affected areas to determine the level of damage or the body parts that have been affected.

These tests may include:. When diagnosed at an early stage, standard treatment for Lyme disease is a two- to three-week course of oral antibiotics. Doxycycline , amoxicillin , and cefuroxime axetil are the most commonly prescribed medications. Depending on your condition and symptoms, other antibiotics or an intravenous IV treatment may be necessary. Some experts advocate continued antibiotic therapy. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , prolonged use of these drugs can also cause complications.

Treatment for post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome is often focused on reducing pain and discomfort. Prescription or over-the-counter OTC pain relievers may be used to treat joint pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications NSAIDs and intra-articular steroids can be used to treat problems such as joint swelling.

Most people with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome recover from persistent symptoms with time. However, it can take months, and sometimes years, before you feel completely well. According to the Mayo Clinic , a small number of people continue to experience symptoms, including fatigue and muscle aches, despite treatment.

This is an important rule to follow even if the grass is cut short as ticks can still be found in short grass. A stands for apply. An EPS-approved tick repellent like DEET or picaridin and insecticide like permethrin is suggested for applying to skin, clothing, and shoes. R stands for remove. You want to remove your clothing upon entering your home. Putting clothes into the washing machine will not kill live ticks.

But putting them into the dryer for minutes at a high temperature will. E stands for examine. You want to examine yourself and your pets for ticks on a regular basis.

Ticks love to hide, so remember to check everywhere throughout your body. Feel around for bumps, but also check the backs of the knees, groin, armpits, in and behind the ears, belly button, and scalp. Take a shower or bathe as soon as you can so you can wash away any unattached ticks. If a tick does bite you, a loved one, or a pet, there are a few key steps to take to remove the tick while minimizing the risk of infection. You want to remove the tick as soon as possible using fine-pointed tweezers or specialized tick-removal tweezers, using these steps:.

Note that this test should not be taken if you have the bulls-eye rash, since this is a clear physical sign of Lyme disease and you should speak with a healthcare provider right away. What are the chances of Lyme disease after a tick bite? How accurate are Lyme disease tests? Types of ticks that carry Lyme disease.

Lyme disease. Mayo Clinic. Accessed August 11, Differentiation of reinfection from relapse in recurrent Lyme disease. N Engl J Med.

Reinfection and relapse in early Lyme disease. Am J Trop Med Hyg. Tickborne Diseases of the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How ticks spread disease. Regions where ticks live. Avoiding Ticks. This is different from being newly infected by other tick-borne illnesses, such as Ehrlichia or Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever , which can present with Lyme-like symptoms but are actually caused by different bacteria than the Lyme disease bacteria. When a person contracts Lyme disease twice, however, they are once again infected with the specific bacteria that causes Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.

Those who have been treated for Lyme in the past can thus be newly infected in one of two ways:. Evidence shows that this immunity probably only applies to the specific strain that infected you the first time. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers studied 17 patients who had contracted Lyme disease at least two times. Out of all 17, only one patient had been infected with the same strain twice. After rigorous probability-based studies, the researchers concluded it would be nearly impossible to find such a sampling of patients completely by chance.

In other words, evidence strongly suggested a strain-specific immunity. This means Lyme patients may be protected against one specific strain of Lyme disease bacteria for up to six to nine years, but they are as vulnerable as ever to all the other strains — not to mention other kinds of tick-borne diseases.

Always practice good Lyme and tick prevention techniques. Pay close attention to the timeline of your symptoms and stay in contact with your doctor. With early detection and treatment, most cases of Lyme clear up quickly and completely. However, if you notice symptoms many months or years after the six-month post-treatment period, you may be dealing with a new infection.

This is not uncommon in cases where the Lyme was not detected or properly diagnosed and thus progressed to the neurological system. Remember that as Lyme progresses, symptoms can change or expand to include sleep problems, cognitive issues, heart problems, depression, and more.

The best way to keep yourself safe from Lyme disease and other tick-borne infectious diseases is to prevent transmission. Of course, no matter what you do, bites from infected ticks do sometimes happen. Pay close attention to your health after a tick bite, no matter how early you think you removed it.