The test for Lyme disease is performed to determine if a person is suffering from this highly infectious disease. Lyme disease doesn’t have any specific symptoms and therefore it can get a little difficult to make a diagnosis right away. In order to make a diagnosis, it is required that a clinical test be performed on the patient.
After examining you physically and taking your medical history, if the doctor feels that you have recently been infected, you may be given an antibody blood test. This test checks for the presence of antibodies for Lyme disease. Sometimes, when the tests come negative but the symptoms persist, the test may be ordered again after a few weeks have gone by.
Once the treatment is begun, more samples may be taken at regular intervals to check the progression of the disease and its symptoms. If the initial tests indicate the presence of the antibodies, a western blot test is then ordered to confirm the finding.
The diagnosis of Lyme disease can be very difficult. However, it can be made easy if the person remembers removing a tick from their skin or has recently visited a place where Lyme disease is widespread. Though some people may develop rashes due to a bite from a tick, mosquito, or a flea that has been infected, it is not always necessary that such a sign will be present. Since ticks and fleas are very small, sometimes they may not be clearly visible too.
Though usually the western blot test is done only to confirm a finding of the ELISA or the antibody test, the test may also be performed when the symptoms are severe. In case of the presence of any symptoms related to the central nervous system or meningitis, the western blot test is immediately performed.
Some of the other symptoms of Lyme disease which call for a western blot test are fever, chills, fatigue, rashes that spread from the site of the bite to the rest of the body, and frequent headaches. If the diagnosis is not made immediately and treatment is not given on time, it may cause joint pain and arthritis like conditions, paralysis of the face, and numbness and weakness in both the limbs.
The doctor may rule out the condition if the symptoms and the medical history of the person do not match. If the initial tests are negative but the western blot tests are positive, it is usually because the infection has reached a later stage.