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Each year, approximately 476,000 people contract Lyme disease from the bite of an infected tick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The central nervous system (CNS) is one such system that may be heavily impacted by Lyme disease.
Research in the American Journal of Psychiatry reported that patients who received a hospital diagnosis , had a 28% higher rate of mental disorders, and they were twice as likely to have attempted suicide after infection compared to people without a Lyme diagnosis. Those with ticke-borne disease also had a higher rates of affective disorders (depression, bipolar disorder) at 42% and had a 75% higher rate of death by suicide than individuals without a Lyme diagnosis.
SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE
The initial symptoms of Lyme Disease and other ticke-borne diseases may be, general flu-like in nature, and similar to other diseases , which may lead to the ticke-borne disease being misdiagnosed or even undiagnosed. Symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Chills
- Headaches
- Cognitive impairments
- Muscle and joint pain
- Neck pain
- Flu-like feeling
- Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
- Bulls- eye rash
Additionally, some people will develop cardiac , neurologic, and psychiatric symptoms. Mental Health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, sleep issues, suicidal thoughts, and more may be linked to Lyme and other ticke-borne diseases. Early testing may not show an infection, as it could take up to six weeks to develop enough antibodies to be detected on a test.