Does the senior in your life have Lyme disease?

Maybe the name Kris Kristofferson rings a bell, or maybe it doesn’t. Either way, here’s a little story about the songwriter and actor who is now 80.

For several years, it was thought he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or some other kind of dementia. His memory had been deteriorating. Then in June 2016, he revealed he was misdiagnosed. What he actually had was Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is contracted from the bite of an infected deer tick, a year-round threat. If left untreated, the disease can progress and cause a number of debilitating symptoms. Seniors can be highly vulnerable because they may have weakened immune systems or pre-existing conditions that can be exacerbated by Lyme.

Here’s why it was such an easy mistake for Kristofferson’s doctors to make. In seniors especially, Lyme disease can result in short-term memory loss. And according to the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center of Columbia University Medical Center, problems like these can occur months or years after a person contracts Lyme disease:

• Problems remembering names or words
• Slowed thinking
• “Brain fog”
• Difficulty following conversations

Other symptoms can include:

• “Bulls-eye” rash at the bite site
• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Increased heart rate
• Meningitis
• Nervous system damage
• Arthritis
• Heart damage

Let’s take a look at the symptoms more closely.

“Bulls-eye” rash at the bite site

This might be one of the first symptoms you notice. The telltale rash is red and may have a bullseye rash around it. This is where bacteria makes its first entry.

Fever and chills, headache, fatigue, joint pain

If these symptoms sound familiar, it’s probably that they resemble the flu. Lack of energy, a mild fever, headaches, achy joints and muscles and swollen lymph nodes…all these can come along with Lyme disease. In seniors who already have daily aches and pains, it can be difficult to distinguish these symptoms from the norm.

Increased heart rate

Many people with Lyme disease develop a rapid heart rate that does not stabilize even when the sufferer is at rest. Since many seniors regularly take blood pressure and other heart medication, it is easy to see why this symptom could be confused with medication failure or side effects. According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 46 percent of seniors between 70 and 79 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions, which can make it difficult to distinguish between disease symptoms and medication reactions.

Meningitis

Lyme meningitis can set in once the bacteria have spread throughout the body, causing fever, migraines, neck stiffness, eye issues, seizures, and confusion. In seniors, these can be confused with viral symptoms or even regular meningitis, both of which require treatments different from the kind Lyme disease requires.

Nervous system damage

Seizures, spasms, larger uncontrolled body movements and tremors – these can all be part of Lyme disease and easily mistaken for conditions like early Parkinson’s disease, diabetic seizures, or other specific nerve damage.

Arthritis

Symptoms of arthritis include stiffening of the joints, inflammation, and pain, which many seniors experience on a daily basis. But if they do not have arthritis already, untreated Lyme disease can put the disease in motion. If they do have arthritis, Lyme disease can make it worse.  

Heart damage

When Lyme disease goes untreated for a period of time, the bacteria can weaken the heart, cause swelling, arrhythmia and even heart failure. In seniors with pre-existing heart-related conditions, this can prove deadly.

The key to recovery is knowing what symptoms to look for and treating Lyme disease right away before it takes a toll on the senior in your life. If you suspect the senior in your life has been bitten by a tick or has any of the above symptoms, seek medical treatment from a professional immediately. In a future article, we will discuss prevention and treatment of Lyme disease. Stay tuned.

This post is written by Potomac Local for Home Instead Senior Care of Manassas serving Prince William and Fauquier counties.