Signs & Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Thank you for visiting symptoms of lyme disease.com where we provide an insight into the signs of the medical condition known as lyme disease caused by the bite of what is often referred to as the lyme tick. We have also included information on the early symptoms of lyme disease as well as on lyme disease treatment and how to recognise whether or not you have the lyme disease rash which is the most common symptom experienced by 4 out of 5 sufferers.

As well as humans catching and displaying signs of lyme disease it is also possible for animals to develop the disease such as dogs. For more information please see our lyme disease in dogs site.

What is Lyme Disease?

We will begin with the obvious question, what is lyme disease? Lyme disease is a vector-borne infection which most commonly effects the skin of the victim but in some cases it can also effect their heart as well as tissues and joints and sometimes even the nervous system. The cause of the illness is bacteria which enters the victims bloodstream via the bite of a tick, often referred to as a lyme tick. The bacteria in question is called Borrelia burgdorferi and is only transmitted by certain types of tick which are from the Ixodes ricinus family and which must already be infected. Lyme ticks just like any ticks are tiny, spideresque creatures found in woodland, moorland, heathland and other grassy areas and they love to feed on the blood of birds and mammals. By feeding on something infected with the Lyme disease bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, they too become infected and when they then go on to bite and feed on something else they subsequently pass on the infection. Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne infection found in areas of the northern hemisphere that are temperate as well as areas of the USA, Canada, temperate parts of Asia and countries all over Europe.

A vector-borne disease is an infection that is transmitted by the bite of creatures such as mosquitoes, flies and ticks, a prime examples being Malaria via the bite of mosquitoes and lyme disease via the bite of lyme ticks.

So discovering what lyme disease is beckons the next question why 'lyme' disease?. The name lyme disease derived from the town of Lyme in the state of Connecticut in the USA, where in 1975 a group of children began suffering from arthritis. The type of arthritis was believed to be rheumatoid arthritis however when it was thoroughly investigated it came to light that their illness was caused by an infection which was a result of them all having been bitten by a tick. It was not a new found illness it had been known by a variety of names for many years in other areas of the world but this one stuck.

The Symptoms of Lyme Disease

So now let's move on to the actual signs and symptoms of lyme disease. It is a fact that not everybody who become infected will display the symptoms of lyme disease.

However what you will need to look out for are the following:

Lyme disease rash - The lyme disease rash is the most common symptom of lyme disease and is found in approximately 80% of cases where the symptoms are displayed. The lyme disease rash is called erythema migrans and is a pale pink and red in colour, it will not necessarily be irritating or painful and on dark skin it can be relatively hard to make out. This can spread out quite a way from the actual place of the lyme ticks bite anywhere between 3 and thirty days afterwards. It is also possible for there to be swelling of the lymph glands where the rash is one of the common signs of lyme disease early on. The rash will usually only last for up to 4 weeks but in some cases it can hang around for longer. When it does clear it will characteristically begin to clear from the centre outwards. The lyme disease rash can disappear in a month or so but without the appropriate treatment the later signs of lyme disease which can be much more serious will follow.

Fever, high temperature - In addition to the lyme disease rash the victim could also become feverish and experience high temperatures as one of the signs of lyme disease.

Aching pains and tiredness - Victims may also experience aching and pains in their muscles and joints and feel lethargic.

Nervous system problems - It is possible in some cases for the victim to develop a problem with their nervous system by paralysis of facial muscles otherwise known as facial palsy. There are also several other neurological symptoms of lyme disease such as mild viral-meningitis and also a burning sensation on the skin, numbness, weakness and pains in the torso and limbs similar to those experienced in shingles. These are called neuroborreliosis complications and will take place several weeks or even months after the victim has been bitten. Those that experience these neurological signs of lyme disease may not actually recall having been bitten and may also not have been subject to the lyme disease rash beforehand.

Arthritis - Whilst experiencing the symptoms of lime disease it is possible to also develop arthritis in the knees or other larger joints. In some cases and this is relatively infrequent, the arthritis can last longer because the victim has a genetic susceptibility to it.

Heart problems - Lyme disease can also cause problems with the heart by changing the usual heart beat rhythm of the victim within just a few weeks of the bite having taken place, however this is a very rare in the signs of lyme disease.

We hope that this page has been of use to you in learning about what the signs of lyme disease are and where you will likely have come across lyme ticks. Remember that the lyme disease rash is found in around 80% of cases so this is the main thing to look out for. Please follow these links if you would like some information on lyme disease treatment or specifically on the early symptoms of lyme disease.