Health Conditions

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of Lyme disease will vary from person to person at different times in the course of the disease. The first symptom in most patients is a rash that looks like a ?bull?s eye,? called an erythema migrans rash, at the site of the tick bite. The rash usually appears within 3 to 30 days of the tick bite and can reach up to 12 inches in size. Other symptoms of infection are flu-like and may include fever, fatigue, chills, headache, and muscle aches. These symptoms occur in what is known as Phase 1 of the infection. If not treated in phase 1, Lyme disease will progress to Phase 2.

Phase 2 of Lyme disease can begin within days to weeks of the beginning of the infection. Symptoms that occur in Phase 2 are mainly related to the nervous system. These symptoms include loss of muscle tone in the face (Bell?s palsy), heart palpitations, and dizziness. The infection may turn into meningitis with symptoms such as severe headache and neck stiffness. Other symptoms that may occur in this phase include sore throat, shooting pains or numbness and tingling in the hands or feet. These symptoms may go away without treatment, but the patient is still infected.

Phase 3 of Lyme disease occurs several months after the initial infection and lasts for years after the infection. Symptoms that occur in Phase 3 are known as arthritic symptoms such as joint pain and swelling, occurring most frequently in the knees. Some patients can also have problems concentrating and experience a loss in short-term memory.