lyme disease symptoms

Lyme’s disease is an infection caused by the lyme disease bacteria. This form of bacteria can infect numerous parts of the body and it can produce varying symptoms at different times. The symptoms of this illness could range from mild to severe as the stage progresses.

The very first sign that the patient is infected is when a circular rash or erythema migrans (EM) develops. About 70-80% of cases first develop this type of rash which often follows a tick bite. The development of this rash could be delayed from 3-10 days. The rash soon invades the entire body over a period of days and it could also reach to an amazing 12-inch circumference. The rash’s center could clear up as it becomes bigger which often looks like a bull’s eye. It is usually not painful but it feels warm.

Other symptoms during the earliest stage include joint and muscle pains; swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, fatigue, and headache. When these symptoms remain untreated, the infection could easily spread to other parts of the patient’s body. The discrete symptoms would then include Bell ’s palsy (loss of facial muscle tone); stiffness of the neck; searing pains which impede sleep; palpitations; dizziness caused by the changes on the patient’s heartbeat; and pains that move from one joint to the next. Most of these symptoms can just go away even without treatment yet this does not mean that the lyme’s disease would also disappear.

If the infection still remains untreated after several months, about 60% of patients would develop bouts of arthritis with severe swelling of joints. The knees commonly succumb to this. Five percent of patients could also develop chronic neurological illnesses after about being infected for months or even years.

Most lyme’s disease cases are cured by antibiotics most especially if the disease is treated at its earliest stage. But there are also symptoms such as arthritis, cognitive defects, fatigue, and sleeplessness which could take time to go away. Just remember that the key is to diagnose the disease at its early stages and prognosis would be much more positive.