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Understanding Lyme Disease -- Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms of Lyme Disease?
The first sign of Lyme disease is usually a bull's-eye rash that begins from 3 to 30 days after the bite. This circular rash expands to several inches in diameter before disappearing after a few weeks.
Be aware, however, that there's not always a rash, or the rash may look different than a bull's-eye shape.
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Other early symptoms -- with or without the rash -- are flu-like feelings of fatigue, headache, fever, sore throat, chills, or body aches.
You may also have vague pains in the joints, without swelling. In about half of people who are not treated, this joint pain returns in about six months as painful arthritis, with swelling in one or both knees. In about 10% of these cases, Lyme arthritis becomes chronic. Some patients also experience a complex range of other symptoms, including stiff neck, headaches, sensitivity to light, memory loss, mood changes, chronic fatigue, recurring rashes, paralysis of one or both sides of the face, disruption of heart rhythm, and areas of tingling or numbness.
Overall, symptoms include:
- A circular, bull's-eye rash, often with a clear center, expanding to 8 inches or more and lasting 2 to 4 weeks
- Any type of rash following a tick bite
- Flu-like symptoms such as headache, fatigue, fever, chills, sore throat, and aching muscles and joints
- Paralysis, most often of the face
- Memory impairment
- Random areas of tingling or numbness
- Skin sensitivities
- Stiff neck
- Sensitivity to light
- Heart palpitations
- Irregular heartbeat, chest pain, or dizziness
- Psychological changes, including depression
- If untreated, you may develop a generalized, painful kind of arthritis, with swelling, weeks later.
Call Your Doctor About Lyme Disease If:
You think you may have contracted Lyme disease, especially if you notice a bull's-eye rash or if you suddenly develop knee pain and swelling without previous injury or arthritis. Delaying treatment can result in more serious neurological symptoms that can be difficult and sometimes impossible to cure.
WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed by
Debbie Bridges, MD on March 28, 2012
© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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