First identified in a group of children in Lyme, Connecticut,
Lyme disease has now been found in nearly all states and 18
other countries. Most cases -- more than 90% -- are reported in
three regions of the U.S.: Northeast, from Massachusetts to
Maryland North Central States, mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin
West Coast, particularly Northern California Because the
symptoms are random and vague (aside from a bull's-eye rash),
Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose. Unfortunately, unless Lyme
disease is treated promptly, it can also be difficult to cure.
For these reasons, people living in high-risk areas can have
considerable anxiety about Lyme disease, and doctors tend to
over-diagnose and over-treat it. The bull's-eye rash of Lyme
disease is distinctive. If you have been exposed to a tick and
have the rash, this is enough to make the diagnosis. But if you
have no such rash, Lyme disease is hard to diagnose. It mimics
other diseases, such as the flu and arthritis, and there is
often a long time lapse between s