Depending on where you live, the ticks that carry Lyme disease can be active year-round — not just during the summer. That’s why it’s important to stay vigilant. Knowing how to protect yourself from Lyme disease and how to recognize the symptoms are the keys to staying safe.
What is Lyme disease?
You can get Lyme disease only if you’re bitten by an infected deer tick (also called a blacklegged tick). Other types of ticks don’t carry the disease. Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and upper-Midwest regions of the country. It’s named after Lyme, Connecticut, the town where the first outbreak was recognized in 1975.
Lyme disease is an infection that can have both immediate and lasting effects on your health. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to curing the infection and reducing your risk of ongoing symptoms.
Common Lyme disease symptoms
By far the most common symptom people notice soon after getting infected is a red rash at the site of the tick bite. It’s called an erythema migrans (EM) rash. The rash — which is usually round and looks like a bull’s-eye — typically develops about a week after you get bitten. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 80% of people infected with Lyme disease get this type of rash.
There are other common symptoms that can develop anywhere from three to 30 days after getting a tick bite. You might get these with or without the classic rash. Other Lyme disease symptoms may include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
Unusual symptoms of Lyme disease
Not everyone ends up with the more common signs of Lyme disease. And people who don’t exhibit these typical early symptoms often go undiagnosed for longer.
The bacteria from the infected tick that causes a Lyme disease infection can affect your nervous system. People who have this condition, Lyme meningitis, can have a range of neurological symptoms including:
- Facial droop (palsy) on one or both sides of the face
- Numbness, tingling or shooting pains in the arms or legs
- Sensitivity to light
- Severe headache
- Stiff neck
- Weakness in arms or legs
Why prompt treatment is so important
When Lyme disease is diagnosed and treated in its early stages, antibiotics are very effective. The earlier you start treatment, the faster and more complete your recovery. A typical course of antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease is 10 to 14 days.
If Lyme disease isn’t treated early, it can result in a more serious infection that’s harder to treat and that can leave you with lasting symptoms. Left untreated, the infection-causing bacteria can spread into tissues throughout the body. This can lead to rare but serious conditions, including Lyme carditis, which occurs when the bacteria infect the heart.
Late signs of Lyme disease (that may show up weeks or even months after being infected) include:
- Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body
- Dizziness
- Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
- Severe joint swelling and pain
- Shortness of breath
In some cases, even people who are treated early with a course of antibiotics experience ongoing or recurring symptoms. This condition is often called chronic Lyme disease, but the preferred term is post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). If you continue to experience symptoms after antibiotic treatment, talk to your doctor about possible next steps.
How to protect yourself against Lyme disease
Your best defense against Lyme disease is to be cautious when it comes to ticks. Be aware when you’re in an area where deer ticks are common. When you plan to spend time outdoors in an area with a high percentage of infected deer ticks, you need to take some precautions:
- Keep skin covered to protect it from ticks. This can include wearing long sleeves, long pants and tall socks.
- Treat clothing with permethrin, an insecticide that repels ticks.
- When you come inside, check your skin and clothes for ticks. Putting clothes in the dryer for 15 minutes will kill any that came in with you. If you find one on your skin, use a blunt tweezer to gently pull it out.
The key to staying safe from Lyme disease is to avoid getting any tick bites. But if you do, be vigilant about any symptoms and see your health care provider as soon as possible if you think you may be infected.
