Lights on for Lyme Disease
Several Scottish landmarks will light up this month to raise awareness of Lyme Disease.
The Titan Crane in Glasgow, Ness Bridge in Inverness and Kilsyth Bandstand are among the structures to be illuminated next week as part of Lyme Disease awareness month.
It is estimated around 3,000 new cases per year are identified in the UK, but the true number is unknown, and likely to be far higher.
Symptoms of the condition can include malaise, unexplained flu-like symptoms, soreness and achiness, light and noise sensitivity, cognitive problems, fatigue, a stiff neck, facial palsy, numbness and tingling.
Humans contract the condition from ticks infected with the bacteria, Borrelia.
Left untreated, the infection can spread anywhere in the body.
Natasha Metcalf, Co Founder LDUK, contracted the disease at the age of 16 and lived with the condition for over a decade before a Doctor in America confirmed she had Lyme Disease.
She said: “With Lyme disease on the rise, it’s crucial that everyone is aware of how to prevent and recognise the illness.
“Infected ticks have been found throughout the UK so nobody is immune from contracting this condition.
“Our campaign aims to ensure that everyone is knowledgeable when it comes to the dangers tick bites can pose and to prevent people from being left untreated and becoming chronically ill.
“Despite new guidelines coming out in 2018, many medics are still unaware of how to diagnose or treat the condition in the recommended way and this needs to change urgently so that everyone is working with the most up to date information out there even though more research is desperately needed.”
Julia Knight, LDUK press manager said: “If diagnosed and treated early it is possible for people to recover, but due to a lack of awareness this often doesn’t happen.”
In recent years tick populations have been on the rise.
Niall Kenny, small animal director at Clyde Valley Vet Group said: “We are fairly certain this increase has something to do with climate change.
“The survival of ticks through the year is dictated by temperature and humidity.
“The warmer the winters the more survive through the winters, populations grow and the more times you’ll be bitten. “
Ticks are widely found throughout Scotland in woodland, countryside, gardens and even urban parks.
You can visit the Big Tick Project map to find out the tick threat in your area.
Wake Up to Lyme, the LDUK initiative, stresses the importance of tick bite prevention.
A petition to fund an NHS Lyme Disease Centre of Excellence is currently seeking signatures.
A Glasgow student, recently diagnosed with the condition, is appealing for support.
For more information on Scotland’s light up events, click here.
Feature Image: LDUK
