Lyme disease – blood tests

Lyme disease – blood tests

More and more people who have encountered a tick are choosing to get tested for Lyme disease. These tests are extremely important because they help establish a diagnosis sooner, allowing treatment to start earlier.

Lyme disease – characteristics and symptoms

Lyme disease is spread by ticks – arachnids found not only in meadows, fields and forests, but literally everywhere. As larvae, they are the size of a pinhead, while adults are several millimetres long. A tick bite is usually painless because the tick releases an anaesthetic substance when attacking its host. These arachnids transmit around 20 different diseases, and around 10% of ticks carry Lyme disease.

Lyme disease (Latin: borreliosis, morbus Lyme), also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a multisystem infectious disease that can affect all organs and all types of tissue in the human body. In some people it may be mild, while in others it can have serious, debilitating effects. It is a disease that can affect anyone: women, men, children and even animals.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

The course of the disease is divided into three stages:

– the skin lesion stage, known as the erythema migrans stage

– the early disseminated stage

– the late chronic stage

Early Lyme disease may be limited to the skin, when a rash known as erythema migrans appears. If the tick has bitten the ear, nipple or groin, an inflammatory lesion (borrelial lymphocytoma) may develop. Once the Lyme disease spirochaetes enter the bloodstream, a range of different symptoms may occur.

Symptoms that may indicate Lyme disease infection include:

– Erythema migrans, which develops at the site of the bite. It takes the form of a red or pink patch or raised spot that rapidly expands, with clearing in the centre. It usually has an irregular border. It most commonly appears on the skin 1-3 weeks after a tick bite and usually disappears on its own. However, if it remains on the skin for longer than 4 weeks, it may indicate that the Lyme disease spirochaetes have spread, marking progression from cutaneous Lyme disease to early disseminated Lyme disease. Erythema migrans may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms and enlarged lymph nodes,

– A lymphocytic infiltrate, also known as borrelial lymphocytoma of the skin. It most commonly appears on the outer ear, scrotum or nipples. It takes the form of a painless, red nodule,

– Fatigue and weakness, which occur in almost 90% of people infected with Lyme disease,

– Visual and hearing disturbances. Patients infected with Lyme disease report blurred vision, spots in their vision, pressure in the ears and tinnitus. Neither eye examinations nor ear, nose and throat examinations detect the reported abnormalities,

– Recurrent joint inflammation, usually occurring between 2 weeks and 2 years after the first symptoms of the disease. It causes recurrent joint pain and swelling (mainly in the knees, elbows and ankles),

– Mild inflammation of the muscles, tendons and bursae,

– Episodes of pain at the back of the neck without a specific cause,

– Disturbances in the heart’s electrical conduction,

– Cranial nerve palsies,

– Meningitis,

– Myocarditis,

– Hypersensitivity to alcohol,

– Hair loss.

Treatment for Lyme disease is a lengthy process that requires considerable commitment from both the patient and the doctor. However, early diagnosis of the disease offers around a 90% chance of successful treatment.

Diagnosing Lyme disease

Diagnosis is based on an assessment of the symptoms reported by the patient, as well as laboratory blood test results. The result report is issued in Polish. The main tests for this disease detect the presence (or absence) of IgM and IgG antibodies.

IgM antibodies provide information about a recent Lyme disease infection. They are the first to appear after contact with the bacterium (around 3-4 weeks after a tick bite). The infection most often begins with erythema migrans and flu-like symptoms. The test result is available after 1 working day.

Blood test – Lyme disease IgM antibodies

The second test for Lyme disease is a laboratory test for IgG antibodies. It provides information about a past infection. Although IgG antibodies appear in the body as early as 4-6 weeks after infection with the bacterium, their concentration peaks 4-6 months after infection and may remain at this level for several years. This test result is also available after 1 working day.

Blood test – Lyme disease IgG antibodies

Additional tests that patients have after a tick bite include tests using the Western blot method. These are performed to confirm the presence in the blood of IgM antibodies – WB Lyme disease IgM antibodies (Western blot test) or IgG antibodies – WB Lyme disease IgG antibodies (Western blot test) specific to the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The test results are available after around 10 working days.

* If your results are outside the normal range, we recommend consulting a doctor.

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