If you’re an enthusiastic camper or hiker, or the sort of person who gets outside at first sight of summer, you might have heard troubling stories about Lyme disease. Lyme is an illness transmitted from black-legged ticks that can, if undetected and untreated, lead to serious health issues. In this blog, we’ll explore what you need to know about Lyme disease: what causes it, the symptoms you need to be able to spot, Lyme disease stages, and how you can protect yourself against infection
What Causes Lyme Disease?
How Lyme Disease Spreads
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness contracted from the bite of a black-legged tick, sometimes known as a deer tick1. The tick needs to stay attached for at least 24 hours to be able to infect you, so if you see you’ve been bitten, it's important to remove the tick with tweezers as quickly as possible2. High-risk areas for Lyme disease in the USA include:
- Northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions (spanning from Maine to Northeastern Virginia)
- The West Coast (especially Northern California)
- North-central states, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota3
However, Lyme is not only present in disease hotspots and precautions should be taken across the country and when traveling abroad.
What Happens After a Tick Bite?
Following a tick bite by an infected tick, Lyme disease-causing bacteria is injected into the bloodstream, where it can incubate for between 3 and 30 days before symptoms start to appear. Early signs of Lyme disease include the development of a rash around the site of the bite, which often has a ‘bulls-eye’ appearance. Not everyone develops the classic ‘bulls-eye’ rash, and other signs can include headache, fever, chills, fatigue, and aches in the muscles and joints4.
Risk Factors for Lyme Disease
You’re most at risk of contracting Lyme disease if you spend a lot of time in wooded, grassy areas, particularly in Lyme disease hotspots. If you’re spending time hiking or camping, you should be mindful of ticks and inspect yourself daily. Pets can carry ticks, so having pets that go outside can increase your chances of contracting Lyme disease. Not wearing proper protective clothing or using tick-repellent spray can also increase the likelihood of being bitten and infected.
What Are the Symptoms of Lyme Disease?
Stage 1 – Early Localized Lyme Disease
Early signs of Lyme disease include:
- A skin rash that could look like a bull’s eye (erythema migrans)
- Fatigue
- Headache
- A stiff neck
- Flu-like symptoms, including fever and chills
- A sore throat
- Muscle soreness
- Joint pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
It’s important to note that although a skin rash is visible in 70-80 percent of cases, this does not always have the classic ‘bulls-eye’ appearance4.
Stage 2 – Early Disseminated Lyme Disease
If left untreated, Lyme disease-causing bacteria will disseminate and spread through the bloodstream with serious consequences. Weeks to months after infection, symptoms can include:
- Bell’s palsy (facial paralysis)
- Pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms and legs
- Changes in vision
- Heart problems like chest pain and palpitations
- Flu-like symptoms, including fever and chills
- Fatigue
- Additional rashes on different parts of the body4
Stage 3 – Late Disseminated Lyme Disease
Further spread of Lyme disease-causing bacteria in months to years after infection can lead to chronic, widespread symptoms, which include:
- Severe arthritis causing pain, swelling, and stiffness in joints
- Cognitive difficulties like brain fog and memory loss
- Nerve pain and numbness in the hands and feet
- Mood issues like extreme irritability and depression
- Extreme fatigue and problems with sleep5
How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed?
Recognizing the Early Signs
Early detection is key in protecting against Lyme disease, and regular tick checks will help spot ticks before they transmit infection. If you’re bitten, remove the tick with tweezers and check for the development of symptoms2. If a rash or flu-like symptoms develop, you should seek medical attention.
Diagnostic Tests for Lyme Disease
If you’ve been exposed to deer ticks and show symptoms of Lyme disease, the CDC recommends a two-step process Lime disease diagnosis6,7:
Step one - normally an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) that detects antibodies produced by the body in response to infection. Antibodies can also be detected by immunofluorescence assay.
Step two - if step one yields positive results, a second test known as a Western Blot assay is used to confirm the presence of infection.
However, it can take some time for your body to start producing antibodies after infection, so a test early in the spread of Lyme disease-causing bacteria might result in a false negative. Similarly, if you’ve been infected with Lyme disease previously, your body will still be producing antibodies against it, which can result in a false positive.
Why Early Treatment Matters
Most cases of Lyme disease are treated with antibiotics for 10-14 days. These medications are most effective in the early stages of infection, so early detection and treatment are essential. If left too late, Lyme disease-causing bacteria can cause damage to the nervous system, leading to chronic Lyme complications. The CDC only recommends the use of preventative antibiotics following a tick bite in certain cases.8
Lyme Disease Prevention & Treatment
Preventing Tick Bites
The first line of defense against Lyme disease is preventing tick bites in the first place. This is most effectively done by wearing protective clothing such as long sleeves and pants or tick-repellent socks and by using insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin.
What to Do If You’ve Been Bitten
- Remove the tick immediately with fine-tipped tweezers
- Avoid twisting or burning the tick when removing it
- Clean the bite area with antiseptic
- Monitor for symptoms for 30 days
- Seek medical attention if symptoms develop9
Lyme Disease Treatment
Early-stage Lyme disease - 10-14 days of antibiotics (doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime)
Later-stage Lyme disease - longer courses of antibiotics (up to a month), sometimes given intravenously. Long-term chronic symptoms such as severe muscle pain and cognitive issues may have to be treated by a specialist.
Conclusion
Lyme disease is a serious illness that is best prevented by taking proper precautions. It is best detected and treated early. Proactive prevention using protective equipment and regular inspection for ticks is the strongest line of defense against infection, while timely treatment with antibiotics is the easiest route to stop serious long-term health conditions. It’s important to know when you’re most at risk of Lyme infection and to recognize the symptoms of early and later-stage infections.
If you are experiencing persistent, unexplained symptoms, consider an Ezra full-body MRI. Our annual scan catches potential health issues early, leveraging AI through the screening process to make it more efficient, affordable, and faster.
