Lyme disease.
Last updated Thursday, December 23, 2004
Figure 2 - Expanding skin rash Figure 3 - Rash with Lyme disease may look like a red ring with a clear center SymptomsWhat are some initial warning signs of lyme disease? You are more likely to spot early signs or symptoms of Lyme disease,
rather than see the tick or its bite, because the tick is very small.
It's also easy to miss early symptoms of Lyme disease.
Early symptoms
In its early stage, Lyme disease may be a mild illness with symptoms
like the flu, or it may appear as an expanding skin rash. The flu-like
symptoms can include a stiff neck, chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes,
headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain. This flu-like illness usually occurs out of flu season, in the spring and summer when ticks bite. What are symptoms of lyme disease? Rash
The rash of Lyme disease is different from the small red area that
often develops just around the bite from a common tick. Many people
bitten by an infected tick develop a large, expanding skin rash around
the area of the bite (see figure 2). Some people may get more than one
rash. The rash may feel hot to the touch and is usually not painful.
Rashes vary in size, shape, and color, but often look like a red ring
with a clear center (see figure 3). The outer edges expand slowly in
size.
It is easy to miss the connection between the rash and a tick bite.
The rash develops from three days to as long as a month after a tick
bite. Almost one third of people with Lyme disease never get the rash.
Joint pain
Joint
or muscle pain may be another early sign of Lyme disease. These aches
and pains may be easy to confuse with the pain that comes with other
types of arthritis. Unlike many other types of arthritis, this pain
seems to move or travel from joint to joint. It lasts only a short time
in any one joint.
How do the symptoms of lyme disease change over time?
Later signs of Lyme disease:
- Problems with the nervous system
- Heart problems
- Arthritis, especially in knees
If you notice any of these signs, contact your doctor.
In later stages, Lyme disease may be confused with other medical
problems. These problems can develop weeks to years after the first
tick bite. For instance, Lyme disease can cause problems with the
nervous system that look like other diseases. These include symptoms of
stiff neck, severe headache, and fatigue, usually linked to acute viral
meningitis. They may include drooping of the muscles on the face called
Bell's palsy, or weakness, pain, or numbness elsewhere in the body.
Lyme disease can also mimic symptoms of other chronic, disabling
diseases of the nervous system. A small percentage of people may
develop difficulty in thinking and mood disorders. Treatment is more
difficult and less successful in later stages.
Lyme disease may cause other serious problems. It can cause heart
problems, such as an irregular or slow heartbeat. Lyme disease can
result in intermittent attacks of arthritis in a few large joints. A
small percentage of people get a disabling, chronic type of arthritis
that most often affects the knees. Researchers think the chronic
arthritis of Lyme disease may be linked to how the body's defense or
immune system responds to the infection.
It is important to watch for Lyme disease in pets, such as dogs, and
farm animals, such as horses and cows. A fever, swollen joints, poor
appetite, lameness that comes and goes, or a reluctance to move may be
the first clues that infected ticks are in your area. If you notice any
of these signs in your pet, see your veterinarian.
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