Lyme disease is an illness caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi) bacteria that is transmitted through the bite of an infected deer or western blacklegged tick. If you live in or spend time in an area that is grassy, bushy, or wooded, you’re more at risk of developing Lyme disease. Some people may not even notice a tick bite. Symptoms typically occur in stages. The first stage begins within 3-30 days following infection and includes symptoms such as:
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Joint and muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Fever and chills
- Headaches
- A “bullseye” rash at the site of the tick bite
As the Lyme disease progresses, additional symptoms may include severe headaches, neck stiffness, facial palsy, severe joint pain and swelling, dizziness, shortness of breath, brain and spinal cord inflammation, arthritis, and nerve pain. Treatment in early stages can be curative. However, some people develop chronic Lyme disease and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome; in these cases, symptoms may last for months or even years. Using tick repellant, tucking in your sleeves and pant legs, and doing a daily tick inspection after being outside can prevent bites.
LymeDisease.org wants you to know these symptoms and preventative measures. Why? Because May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month! Spreading the above information can help others learn more about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
How to Take Action for Lyme Disease Awareness Month
So you want to raise Lyme Disease awareness—but don’t quite know where to start. No worries! Just take a look at the below ideas for inspiration on kickstarting your advocacy:
- Engage on social media. Use hashtags like #LymeDisease and #LymeDiseaseAwareness to share your stories or hear directly from those affected. Amplifying these stories can really showcase lived experience.
- Host a screening of “Under Our Skin.” This Oscar shortlisted film highlights the struggles of Lyme disease from patients and physicians. It deals with challenging topics, such as the rampant misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of Lyme disease, and sparks a conversation about how and where our healthcare system can improve.
- Fundraise. Whether you’re running a birthday fundraiser on Facebook for the Lyme Disease Foundation, fundraising on LymeDisease.org, or coming up with other unique money-making ventures, your funds can contribute to research advancements and resources for people with Lyme disease. Don’t want to fundraise? Consider purchasing some “LymeGear” instead!
- Reach out to your local news. You can write to your local TV station asking for them to run a feature on Lyme disease, or to your newspaper seeing if they’ll cover it for a column. If you’re feeling particularly motivated, you can also write to your local or state politicians asking them to make a public educational announcement about tick-borne illnesses.
- Register for MyLymeData. This patient registry and study comprises data of more than 16K people with Lyme disease. The goal of MyLymeData is to pool data, identify effective treatments, and portray a more accurate picture of what it means to live with Lyme disease for research teams.
Have other ideas on raising awareness? Tweet us and let us know!
