What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria, (Lyme disease symptoms) Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted to humans through a bite from an infected (Lyme disease causes) black-legged or deer tick. Symptoms can occur anywhere from 3 to 30 days after (Lyme disease caused by) the bite and can be wide-ranging, depending on the stage of the infection. In some cases, symptoms (Lyme disease diet) can appear months after the bite.
The chances you might get Lyme disease from a tick bite depend on the kind of tick (Lyme disease diagnosis), where you were when the bite occurred, and how long the tick was (Lyme disease means) attached to you, the CDC says. Black-legged ticks must be attached to you for 36 to 48 hours to transmit (Lyme disease pictures) Lyme disease. If you remove the tick or ticks within 48 hours, you aren’t likely to get infected, says Cleveland Clinic (Lyme disease precautions) infectious disease specialist Alan Taege, MD.
Lyme disease: What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
Lyme disease symptoms
Early signs and symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes -- (Lyme disease rash) all common in the flu. In up to 80 % of Lyme disease infections, a rash is one of the first symptoms, Aucott says.
Without treatment, symptoms can progress. They might include:
- Severe headache or neck stiffness
- Rashes on other areas of the body
- Arthritis with severe swelling, joint pain and, particularly in the knees
- Loss of muscle tone or “drooping” (Lyme disease symptoms) on one or both sides of the face.
- Heart palpitation or an irregular heartbeat
- Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
- Shooting pains, tingling in the hands or feet or numbness.