Lyme Disease Case Study

Lyme Disease Background “Lyme disease is a tick borne spirochete bacterial infection that is characterized by a rash in the area of the bite, headache, neck stiffness, chills, fever, myalgia, arthralgia, malaise, fatigue, and possible development of arthritis in large joints” (McCance, Heuther, Brashers, Rote, 2010). Lyme disease’s clinical manifestations occur in three stages: Localized infection, disseminated infection, and late persistent infection. Localized infection occurs shortly after the bite with erythema migrans (rash), fever, fatigue, malaise, myalgias (muscle pain), and arthralgia’s (joint pain). Within days to week the disseminated stage begins and manifests with secondary erythema migran, arthralgias, meningitis, neuritis,

She describes being bedridden for 5 months and how she still currently recovering from symptoms from the disease she contracted a year ago. The magazine article then goes into further detail on how Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that causes symptoms ranging from moderate fatigue and muscle pain to debilitating dementia. It stresses importance on the fact that Lyme disease is “significantly underestimated because of factors including imperfect testing and symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and lupus” (People Magazine, 2015). This article accurately describes some of the symptoms of Lyme disease and accurately discusses how the disease is often overlooked as a diagnosis in individuals. Another article that correlates with People is a recent blog by Yolanda Foster from “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”, she describes the disease personally stating, “I have lost the ability to read, write, or even watch TV, because I can’t process information or any stimulation for that matter. It feels like someone came in and confiscated my brain and tied my hands behind my back to just watch and see life go by without me participating in it.” These articles describe how impacting Lyme disease can be on an individual’s life and how it can affect their occupations. The demographic for this article include all individuals suffering from Lyme disease and those who may have a possibility of carrying the disease. The impact of the information was to inform the general population of how debilitating this disease can be and to increase knowledge so the disease will not be underestimated in the future. This article has a great impact in the occupational therapy field because it describes how individuals with disease have to put their life on hold and how they might hide themselves from society until they regain their health.