![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Lyme-Disease.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDeer ticks transmit Lyme disease. These deer ticks are not found throughout the country, with 43 out of the 50 states reporting these types of ticks. The spirochete bacteria cause this debilitating disease. Lyme disease is not often reported because the symptoms of Lyme disease are so similar to many other ailments. This similarity of symptoms makes the infection more difficult to diagnose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are three categories that Lyme disease is often divided into. The groups are acute, early disseminated, and late disseminated. The progression of Lyme disease will vary. Not every person who is infected with Lyme disease goes through all of the stages. Here are 14 common symptoms of Lyme disease that a person may or may not experience if they are infected with the spirochete bacteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Rashes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Getting bitten by a tick does not necessarily mean that you have Lyme disease. The tick must be carrying the bacteria that causes this disease. After the tick bites you, a rash <\/a>might appear. This rash will often look like a bull’s eye as it will have a red center, a white space, and then a bigger red circle. This bullseye rash could appear anywhere, arms, legs, back, stomach, even on your face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This rash is often very smooth and does not typically itch. The bullseye rash is one of the first signs that the infection is now spreading throughout the skin tissues. If no treatment is given, the outbreak will often expand and then go away. Roughly 30 percent of people who have Lyme disease do not recall the bullseye rash appearing. If you do notice this type of rash, make sure that you get a picture of it to show your doctor as this can help you when trying to get the right treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n When you first are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease<\/a>, you may simply think that you have the flu. This is because the first symptoms of the disease are very similar to flu symptoms. In addition, the symptoms of Lyme disease will often go away and come back every few weeks. Most people who suffer from Lyme disease state that they are simply tired all of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Severe fatigue takes over the body, and no matter how much sleep or rest that you get, you cannot seem to shake that tired feeling. This symptom of fatigue is one of the most common for this disease. One report found that about 75 percent of adults suffering from Lyme disease report fatigue as one of their symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Often, when a person says being extra tired, they are misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or depression. In cases of Lyme disease, fatigue can become quite disabling. Another early symptom people with Lyme disease may report pain or stiffness of their joints. Joint pain <\/a>often comes and goes. The joints may be painful and swollen. You may notice that they are warm to the touch. A limited range of motion in your joints is often noticeable as well. The joint pain may move around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may find it hard to move your neck one day, and then the next day, you cannot bend your knees. This pain can, at times, be very severe. You may find that several of your joints are swollen and hard to move. The issue with this symptom is that often people will write off joint pain because they think that they are just getting old or that they had an extra challenging workout one day. If you have joint pain along with some of these other symptoms, you will want to tell your doctor that you think you have Lyme disease. Many people suffering from Lyme disease have flu-like symptoms. This includes fever, headaches, dizziness<\/a>, malaise, and muscle pain. Almost half of the people who have Lyme disease report that they have flu-like symptoms within a week of being infected. These symptoms could be low level, which makes most people not think about Lyme being the possible cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, when a person with Lyme gets a fever, it will typically be low grade. Unlike the viral flu, a person with Lyme may experience these symptoms off and on. A person who is suffering from these types of symptoms for some time and then they go away, only to come back a week or a few weeks later, it could be a sign that you have Lyme disease. It is essential to go to your doctor and get tested as the sooner that proper treatment for Lyme disease is started, the better the results. It is common for a person who has Lyme disease to find that their sleep becomes disrupted. There are many reasons that your sleep may become upset when you have Lyme. Joint pain can become quite excruciating, causing you not to be able to sleep. Also, when you have Lyme disease, your body temperature can fluctuate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This can cause you to have chills <\/a>or break out into sweats, which can wake you up. Also, your head and face may feel flushed. Nearly sixty percent of adults who were diagnosed with Lyme disease reported that they experienced chills and sweats at night that kept them awake. The same study of these people with Lyme disease said that about 41 percent had other disturbances in their sleep. If your sleep has been disruptive, and you also have different symptoms of Lyme disease, ask to be tested.\u00a0 When it comes to Lyme disease, there can be many kinds of cognitive disturbances that may occur, and some of these can be quite scary. You may notice that you have trouble concentrating on even some of the simplest tasks. You may also experience lapses in your memory<\/a>, finding that you have to reach to remember a name that should be familiar. Besides, it may feel like you are processing things more slowly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, a person who has Lyme disease may even forget how to get someplace that is familiar to them while they are driving or taking public transportation. You may also become confused about where you are and why you are there. It is easy to attribute this mental decline to age or stress. However, some of the drops in your capabilities may start to become quite worrisome. You might at first attribute this to stress or age, but the decline in abilities may worry you. A person who has Lyme disease may find that they become quite sensitive to light and notice some changes in their vision<\/a>. Bright lights that are often found indoors can become blinding or feel uncomfortable. This sensitivity to light can become bad enough for some people that they start wearing sunglasses while they are indoors in addition to wearing them outside in normal light. Sensitivity to light may also be accompanied by blurry vision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people who suffer from Lyme disease report having blurry vision along with a sensitivity to light. You should know that not everyone who has Lyme disease will experience this symptom. However, if you notice a change in your vision along with other signs of the disease, ask your doctor to test you. Lyme disease can cause other neurological issues as well. These symptoms can be quite subtle or, at times, more specific. For example, you may feel less coordinated. Walking a straight incline can take more effort than it did before. You may start tripping and falling more often, even though this did not happen to you earlier. Some of the effects of Lyme can be quite specific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the bacteria <\/a>could affect your cranial nerves. If it infects the facial nerve, you may develop muscle weakness on one or both sides of the face. Some of the other cranial nerves that may become infected may cause you to lose your sense of taste and smell. Lyme disease can also spread throughout the nervous system. When this occurs, the tissues where the spinal cord and brain meet can become inflamed. This may cause neck stiffness or pain, headaches, and sensitivity to light.\u00a0 One terrifying symptom of Lyme disease occurs as the bacteria that causes the infection invades the tissues of the heart. Lyme carditis is the term for this condition, and it can be terrifying. Some people who develop this condition will only have mild symptoms, while others may experience symptoms that are quite severe. As the bacteria invades the heart, a person may feel lightheaded. They also may experience chest pains<\/a> and shortness of breath. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As the bacteria invade the heart, inflammation may occur. This can cause a person’s heart to beat irregularly. Lyme carditis is something that a person will often recover from, and this condition is not very common when it comes to cases of Lyme disease. This condition is one of the reasons that early diagnosis is essential as you want to stop the infection from spreading as soon as possible. Lyme disease can affect a person’s mood. People who suffer from the disease may become more depressed, anxious, or irritable. Just over twenty percent of patients who were diagnosed with Lyme disease reported that they felt more irritable. In the same study, around ten percent said that they felt more anxious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you notice that you have become more irritable, anxious, or depressed<\/a>, or that you have sudden swings in your moods, it is essential to report this to your doctor. Mood swings are considered to be a symptom of Lyme disease. If these mood swings are accompanied by any of the other symptoms on this list, it is vital to make sure that you are tested for Lyme disease. As mentioned, Lyme disease often goes undiagnosed, or a person with Lyme is often misdiagnosed with something else.\u00a0 Unexplained pain is a common symptom reported by people suffering from Lyme disease. A person who has Lyme disease may experience chest pains or sharp pains in their ribs. Often this pain will send a person to the emergency room as they may feel like they have a heart attack. When nothing is found to be wrong with the heart, the diagnosis is often reported as a musculoskeletal cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lyme disease may also cause a person to have other weird sensations such as numbness<\/a>, itchiness, or the skin tingling or crawling. Other symptoms that involve the cranial nerves include tinnitus, which can become quite bothersome. Someone with Lyme disease may also experience jaw or pain in the teeth. Once again, a person who has Lyme disease may experience weird pain or other sensations. These symptoms can often be misdiagnosed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n As mentioned, Lyme disease can mess with your nerves. If the cranial nerves are infected, it may cause some severe health issues. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves<\/a> located in the body. If the 7th pair of cranial nerves are infected with Lyme disease, you may experience muscle weakness in the face. This muscle weakness might be on one or both sides of the face. If you are experiencing this symptom, your doctor may mistake it for something called Bell’s palsy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lyme disease is one of the only illnesses that can cause weakness on both sides of the face. You may also experience tingling or numbing on one or both sides of your face if you have Lyme disease. If one of your other cranial nerves is infected, you may experience a loss of smell or taste. If you have a loss of smell or taste or notice that your face is drooping along with some of the other symptoms on this list, it is a good idea to get tested for Lyme disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n As mentioned, there is a specific rash that is associated with Lyme disease. In addition to this particular rash, a person may also develop other rashes all over their body. You may also find that you will have humongous bruises on your body without a typical cause. The skin outbreaks <\/a>are often unsightly and can be very itchy. Rashes may also be a sign of something more serious such as B cell lymphoma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other skin issues that are associated with Lyme disease include discolored patches of skin, white patches on the surface, and parapsoriasis, which is a precursor to lymphoma. If you are experiencing unexplained bruising along with any type of rash, you may be infected with Lyme disease. It is essential to note your symptoms and speak with your doctor about testing for Lyme disease because the sooner you are diagnosed, the better your chances of being cured. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Most often, children are infected with Lyme disease. A child may have all of the same symptoms that an adult with Lyme disease may experience, but they may have trouble telling you exactly what hurts. Your child may show a decline in school performance, and they may also have severe mood swings that are problematic. Arthritis <\/a>is one of the most common first symptoms that a child infected with Lyme disease will experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you notice new behavior issues along and your child is complaining about joint pain, you should probably consider testing them for Lyme disease. Often, children will have a rash appear near the site where the tick was located. This is almost a sure sign that they have Lyme disease. The sooner that they are diagnosed with the disease, the better as early treatment is essential when it comes to Lyme disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/weakness-and-fatigue-headache.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n2. Fatigue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Joint-Pain.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n3. Joint Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/headache_Woman-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4. Dizziness, Headaches, or Fever<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/night-sweat-sleep.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n5. Night Sweats or Sleep Disturbances<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Age-Related-Cognitive-Decline.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n6. Cognitive Decline <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Vision-Changes.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n7. Vision Changes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Neurological-Problems.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n8. Neurological Problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/heart-attack_772052479-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n9. Heart Problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Mood-change.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n10. Mood Changes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/neck-Pain.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n11. Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Cranial-Nerve-Issues.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n12. Cranial Nerve Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Skin-Outbreak.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n13. Skin Outbreaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Arthritis.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n14. Regression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n