Matt Dawson rode the wave to sporting glory as an England rugby player, winning the world cup alongside his teammates in 2003. He won 77 caps for his country in total, including nine as captain and was England’s most capped scrum half until passed by Danny Care. While it may seem that nothing could crack his battle-hardened exterior, Matt’s physical health took a dramatic turn for the worse when he was bitten by a tick in a London park a couple of years back.
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Opening up about that time, Matt said: “I had two days where I felt awful. Very feverish, on the sofa, crashed out.”
With his health rapidly deteriorating, Matt checked himself into the hospital where he was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
The doctors soon informed that the bite had caused a bacterial infection that spread through his body.
Due to the spread, Matt was forced to undergo heart surgery.
The dramatic escalation of events understandably left the former rugby player in shock: “It was a really scary time for me and my family. Such a tiny creature caused me to end up needing heart surgery.”
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks.
Ticks are small parasitic creates related to spiders, mites and scorpions.
According to the NHS, only a small number of ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
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As the health site explains, a tick bite can only cause Lyme disease in humans if the tick has already bitten an infected animal.
“Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk areas include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands,” noted the health site.
This was news to Matt: “There’s no way that I would’ve walked through a wood or a forest with my kids and gone back home and thought, ‘right, I’ll just check for some ticks just to make sure everything is fine’. I just wouldn’t have thought of that.”
How to spot tick bites
As the NHS explains, many people with early symptoms of Lyme disease develop a circular red skin rash around a tick bite.
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“The rash can appear up to three months after being bitten by a tick and usually lasts for several weeks,” says the health body.
Most rashes appear within the first four weeks, however.
Not everyone with Lyme disease gets the rash, it notes.
Some people also have flu-like symptoms in the early stages, such as:
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- Headaches
- Muscle and joint pain
- Tiredness and loss of energy
How to treat Lyme disease
In general, recovery will be quicker and more complete the sooner treatment begins, says Mayo Clinic.
According to the health body, oral antibiotics are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease.
“If the disease involves the central nervous system, your doctor might recommend treatment with an intravenous antibiotic for 14 to 28 days,” explains the health site.
It adds: “This is effective in eliminating infection, although it may take you some time to recover from your symptoms.”
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