Lyme disease is a dangerous condition transmitted to humans by ticks infected by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium.
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Initially, a rash might form but might vanish without treatment but over time, the individual develops issues with the joints, nervous system and the heart.
What are the indications?
The primary signs of Lyme disease are generally mild. Some might not notice any symptoms or simply think that they have the flu.
After the initial stage, additional symptoms arise. The signs might vanish, but the condition can affect the body in other ways, usually years after.
Early
Erythema migrans is the rash that often forms in the initial stage of Lyme disease, from 3-30 days after being infected.
The rash is characterized by:
- Starting as a small-sized rash that expands after several days
- Loss of color in the middle part which provides it bull’s eye appearance
- Starting at the site of the tick bite but might manifest in other parts as the bacteria spreads
- Warm if touched but not itchy or painful
Early disseminated
The rash subsides after 4 weeks even without treatment, but other symptoms might occur days to months after being bit such as:
- Fever and chills
- Meningitis
- Additional rashes
- Fatigue
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Pain in the muscles, tendons, joints and bones
- Erratic heart beat
- Facial palsy
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Nerve pain
These symptoms might settle without treatment after a few weeks or months, but complications might arise.
Late disseminated
This is the late phase of Lyme disease and might be the first sign of illness in some individuals.
The signs might manifest weeks, months or even years after the initial infection if treatment was not started or antibiotics are not effective.
The individual might experience the following:
- Visual and sleep issues
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory loss
- Pain, numbness and tingling
- Joint pain
- Erratic heart beat
- Facial paralysis
Management of Lyme disease
During the initial stages of Lyme disease, the treatment includes antibiotics which results to fast and full recovery.
In the late stages, especially if the individual develops arthritis and neurological ailments, intravenous antibiotics or antibiotic injections are required.