The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that Lyme disease affects around 300,000 people a year in the United States alone. It is the most common tick-borne illness especially in the Northeast or upper Midwest parts of the country where checking for ticks is mandatory during the summer.
According to experts, the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi is the culprit behind Lyme disease. It is transmitted when an infected blacklegged tick, otherwise known as a deer tick bites you. Although this knowledge is helpful, diagnosing Lyme disease is not always as easy. Once your body is infected with its poison, this bacteria can create various problems. Aside from the classic bullseye-shaped rash that normally comes out, there are other symptoms of Lyme disease that are frustratingly vague and aren’t well known.
This is why it is important to educate yourself with other signs and symptoms of Lyme disease so you can seek immediate medical attention if you or a loved one could possibly be infected with Lyme. As long as you know what to watch out for, this disease is very easy to treat.
What are the early symptoms of Lyme?
According to the CDC, the first symptoms of Lyme disease will come out anywhere between 3 to 30 days after getting bitten by the infected tick.
Bullseye red rash
Around 80% of people develops a red rash after contracting Lyme. Infectious disease specialist at Texas Health Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Nikhil Bhayani, M.D., says it usually forms where the person is bitten and the redness is the allergic reaction to the tick’s saliva.
More often than not, the rashes are shaped like a bulleye, but they can also just be a reddish spot. Over time, this rash can expand to as big as 12 inches. Although it will be warm to the touch and look quite crusty, it isn’t uncomfortable or itchy.
Symptoms of the flu
Not everyone will experience the flu, but most probably, you’ll get a few flu-like symptoms, says Dr. Bhayani. These include the following:
Muscle and joint pain
Headaches
Fatigue
Stiff neck
Fever
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
These symptoms appear because your immune system is fighting off the bacterial infection, says Kalpana D. Shere-Wolfe, M.D., an infectious disease specialist the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus. While these symptoms could also mean that you have contracted many other sicknesses, when it is the cause of Lyme disease, you won’t experience coughing or congestion.
Later symptoms to watch out for
After about a month after the bite, additional symptoms will resurface and these include:
More rashes
As the infection spreads through the body, your initial rash will also expand, along with smaller rashes close to the infected bite. These could also turn out to be bullseye-shaped or just look like random red blotches, according to the CDC. Another sign is a slightly bluish tint could appear in the middle of the rash.
Exhaustion and fuzzy thinking
Timothy J. Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer for the Global Lyme Alliance explains that the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi can possibly cross the blood-brain barrier and eventually infect the central nervous system. This can lead to the brain becoming inflamed which will affect the central nervous system in more ways than one.
One effect will be of extreme fatigue which happens to about 76% of those with advanced Lyme disease. Trouble with concentration, loss of coordination and short-term memory are also problems that were seen in 24% of infected people, according to research. In other cases where the disease is left untreated for a long time, facial weakness and behavioral changes are also seen, says Sellati.
Bad headaches
The same inflammation in the brain that causes extreme fatigue and trouble thinking is also the reason for really bad headaches that, according to research, affects 70% of those with Lyme.
These intense headaches are usually similar to a migraine than a regular headache, says Dr. Bhayani. Apart from the throbbing pain, you may also experience hypersensitivity to noise and light.
Pain, numbness and tingling in joints and muscles
According to a study in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 60% of infected patients will experience severe joint pain and even arthritis as their Lyme disease progresses. It usually begins to take effect in the joints closest to where you were bitten and spread to other areas like the knees. Because the pain isn’t constant, experts don’t understand why, but but “the symptoms can wax and wane over a period of weeks or months,” says Sellati.
Linda Yancey, M.D., an infectious disease specialist with Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital in Katy, Texas says that as the disease progresses, it can also attack the cartilage in the joints, eventually leading to tissue damage.
Much like the other problems caused by Lyme, this is also triggered from the inflammation. “The damage to tissues, bone, and cartilage is caused by the production of pro-inflammatory proteins, the same protein responsible for damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis,” says Sellati.
Palpitations, shortness of breath and dizziness
Apart from invading the central nervous system, the bacteria can also go up and infect the heart tissue which will inflame the tissue causing heart palpitations, explains Sellati. It can feel like your heart is pounding or fluttering at a faster rate than usual.
It will be more noticeable after exercise, or when stressed. Although not common, this problem only affects about 11% of patients, yet it can still be serious. “If [palpitations] occur frequently, seem to get worse, or are accompanied by chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, or dizziness, you should seek immediate medical attention,” says Sellati.
Generally, shortness of breath occurs when one is exerting too much, but with Lyme this isn’t the case. “A Lyme disease patient can experience shortness of breath during normal activity that in the past might not have resulted in this response,” explains Sellati.
When do you go to the doctor?
It is always better to seek medical attention at the soonest possible time. The longer Lyme disease is not treated, the more likely you will develop severe complications like heart problems, cognitive issues and join pain.
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