Neuroborreliosis is a disease whose symptoms are very similar to those of depression. It attacks the nervous system, causing progressive inflammation of the nervous tissue. The patient may develop, for example, emotional disorders, anorexia, and even psychosis. Check the symptoms of Lyme disease.
Contents
- Symptoms of Lyme disease
- 1st stage
- II stage
- III stage
- Post Lyme syndrome - that is, the post-Lyme syndrome
Neuroborreliosisis Lyme disease of the nervous system, and itssymptomsare very similar to those of depression.
Neuroborreliosis, which is one form of Lyme disease, is caused by spirochetesBorrelia burgdorferi.These bacteria enter the human body after being bitten by an infected tick and attack the nervous system.
It is estimated that 10-30 percent of ticks are infected with the spirocheteBorrelia burgdorferi . AndLyme disease accounts for 15-40 percent of all Lyme cases.
Symptoms of Lyme disease
As a result of the spirochete infectionBorrelia burgdorferithe nervous tissue becomes inflamed. Involvement of the nervous system by spirochetes may occur immediately after infection, after several months or even several years after a tick bite.
This is due to many factors, incl. from the immunological diversity of each person and the predisposition of bacteria to occupy the nervous system.
Infection triggers many different body responses that appear at different stages of the disease:
1st stage
Symptoms such as fibromyalgia, i.e. soreness in the locomotor system, muscle tremors and mild depression, appear about 2-3 weeks after a tick bite.
The characteristic erythema migrans appears in 50 percent of infected people.
II stage
3 types of symptoms appear 4-6 weeks or months after the bite.
First symptom type:
- hypersensitivity, i.e. excessive sensitivity of the body to both internal and external stimuli (e.g. excessive stimulation of the cerebral cortex, touch)
- paresthesia (tingling, numbness of the skin)
- painsroot
- flaccid paresis (caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system), and even muscle paralysis
Read also: How to recognize chronic (chronic) Lyme disease?
Second type of symptoms:
Meningitis with features of aseptic inflammation:
- headache
- neck stiffness
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
- photophobia
Third type of symptoms:
- encephalitis (less common in stage II)
- convulsions
- cranial nerve palsy
- problems with concentration and memory
- symptoms of encephalopathy, i.e. intellectual disorders (dementia) and character disorders; in the course of neuroborreliosis, the most common symptoms of encephalopathy, such as fatigue and sleep disturbances, are the result of difficulty falling asleep, waking up at night and daytime sleepiness
At this stage of the disease, mental disorders in the form of affective disorders and personality disorders are of particular concern.
As a result of damage to various anatomical structures of the brain, inhibitory and excitatory processes are disrupted, which can manifest itself in apathy, advanced depression and suicidal tendencies, as well as constant irritability, outbursts of anger, attacks of aggression, and even various forms of obsession and obsessive compulsions.
Patients who have previously been diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder are particularly prone to mental disorders in the course of LNB.
Read also: What is the treatment of Lyme disease - according to the IDSA and ILADS standards?
III stage
The chronic stage appears months or years after a tick bite. During this period, there is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord with spasmodic paresis, difficulties in walking and impaired sphincter functions.
Additionally, there may be: organic psychoses and anorexia nervosa (anorexia), visual field disturbances, disturbances in consciousness with the features of delirium or dementia, convulsions. These types of symptoms occur in approximately 0.5 percent of patients.
Post Lyme syndrome - that is, the post-Lyme syndrome
Post Lyme syndrome is a group of symptoms that persist despite treatment for Lyme disease caused by spirochetesBorrelia burgdorferi.Post Lyme syndrome is diagnosed when disorders of the nervous system persist for more than six months after the end of antibiotic treatment.
Typical symptoms are long-lasting, lasting for months, aeven years, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, memory impairment and difficulty concentrating.
It is assumed that these symptoms are the result of the slow recovery of the infection or its transformation into a chronic process and permanent tissue damage due to the inflammatory process.