Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease
The first sign of a
Lyme disease infection is usually a circular rash called erythema migrans, or EM. This rash occurs in approximately 70-80 percent of people infected with Lyme disease, and begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3-30 days. A distinctive feature of the rash is that it gradually expands over a period of several days, reaching up to 12 inches (30 cm) across. The center of the rash may become clear as it enlarges, resulting in a bull's-eye appearance. The rash may be warm, but is not usually painful. Some patients develop additional EM rashes in other areas of the body after several days. Patients can also experience other symptoms of Lyme disease in the early stages of infection, including:
- Fatigue
- Chills
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches
- Swollen lymph nodes.
In some cases, these may be the only symptoms of Lyme disease infection.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease: Days to Weeks Later
If left untreated, the infection may spread to other parts of the body within a few days to weeks, producing an array of symptoms. These next-stage symptoms of Lyme disease can include:
- Loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face (called facial or Bell's palsy)
- Severe headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis
- Shooting pains that may interfere with sleep
- Heart palpitations and dizziness due to changes in the heartbeat
- Pain that moves from joint to joint.
Many of these symptoms of Lyme disease will resolve, even without treatment.
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