A tick on a person's skin.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by a bite of an infected deer tick or western black-legged tick. Recognition of early symptoms is necessary to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Early Symptoms
Early symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash visible three to 30 days after the bite. This may have the appearance of a "bull's eye" or appear as many red spots. Other symptoms include chills, fever, stiff neck, muscle aches and fatigue.
Late Symptoms
Symptoms of late-stage Lyme disease include arthritis, which can cause painful, swollen joints. The condition occasionally causes changes in mood or sleep habits, trouble concentrating, memory loss and muscle weakness.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of Lyme disease includes blood tests and a physical examination of the symptoms. Blood tests may give false results because people who've been sick for less than one month may not have enough antibodies to have a positive Lyme disease test.
Treatment
Lyme disease is treated with 14 to 30 days of antibiotics. To avoid late-stage Lyme disease symptoms, you need to take your entire prescribed amount of antibiotics. Late-stage Lyme disease is additionally treated with anti-inflammatory and pain medications.
Prevention
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, avoiding a Lyme disease infection involves removing ticks as soon as they are noticed, landscaping and using insect repellent. Landscaping techniques to decrease the number or migration of ticks in your yard include mowing frequently, raking leaves, and creating a barrier of gravel or wood chips between wooded areas and your lawn.
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