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You are here : 3-RX.com > Medical Encyclopedia > Diseases and Conditions > Lyme Disease: Symptoms & Signs
      Category : Health Centers > Infections (Infectious Diseases)

Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease | Symptoms & Signs | Diagnosis & Tests | Prevention & Expectations | Treatment & Monitoring

What are the signs and symptoms of the infection?

Early local Lyme disease often starts with a mild flu-like illness. The person may complain of the following symptoms:

  • fatigue
  • fever
  • headache
  • muscle aches
  • stiff neck
  • swollen lymph nodes
  • The most obvious sign of Lyme disease is the bull's-eye rash, commonly at the site of the tick bite. The rash may begin the day of the bite, or up to 30 days later. It starts as a red, circular lesion, which may feel hot and itchy. As it gets bigger, the center often clears. The skin looks normal in the middle, making the lesion resemble a bull's-eye on a dartboard.

    The lesion may grow to over 20 inches in diameter. Within a few days, more lesions may erupt. In 3 to 4 weeks, the lesions are replaced by small red blotches, which may continue for several weeks.

    Lyme disease may spread to other body systems, causing disseminated Lyme disease. General symptoms of disseminated Lyme disease include:

  • confusion
  • fever, which may come and go
  • marked fatigue
  • severe headaches
  • severe muscle pain
  • Depending on the body systems involved, disseminated Lyme disease may also cause:

  • arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats
  • behavioral changes, including depression and personality changes
  • chest pain
  • cognitive impairments
  • diarrhea
  • difficulty swallowing or speaking
  • dizziness or fainting
  • hearing impairment
  • joint pain and swelling
  • loss of appetite
  • meningitis, which is inflammation of the membranes lining the spinal cord
  • miscarriage, premature birth, and stillbirth if a woman is pregnant
  • muscle weakness or paralysis
  • nausea and vomiting
  • pneumonia
  • seizures
  • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • sleep disorders
  • stroke
  • visual impairments
  • These symptoms tend to come and go over a number of weeks if the person is not treated.

    Weeks to years later, frank, or unmistakable, arthritis can occur, with marked swelling of the joints. Recurrent attacks can lead to chronic arthritis, with severe joint damage.


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    Lyme Disease: Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

     

    Lyme Disease: Diagnosis & Tests

    Author: Danielle Zerr, MD
    Reviewer: William M. Boggs, MD
    Date Reviewed: 06/19/01



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