The borrelia burgdorferi bacterium is the culprit behind Lyme disease, the Mayo Clinic reports. A person may become infected by this bacteria if he is bitten by a deer tick. Lyme disease may be prevented by wearing appropriate clothing in forests or grassy areas where the ticks abound. It may be treated with antibiotics.
Flu-like Symptoms
Infection with the borrelia burgdorferi bacterium from a tick can cause the affected person to experience symptoms that mimic a common cold or the flu. For example, the person may have an elevated body temperature accompanied by sweating and chills. She may feel general aches throughout her body and have a headache. Unexplained general, but significant weakness is another symptom.
Rash
The most common symptom associated with Lyme disease from a tick bite is a rash. This may start as a raised red bump that may be very small. The Mayo Clinic states this most often occurs in the area behind the knees, the skin beneath the belt line and the groin. This red area gradually spreads into what may look like a bull's eye, anywhere from the size of a fingertip to a foot in diameter. The rash may clear in about a week and coincide with flu-like symptoms.
Joint Pain
After the rash fades---if the person bitten has not been treated with antibiotics for Lyme disease---she may start feeling what the Mayo Clinic calls migratory joint pain. This means the severe pain that affects the knees may move to the elbows or wrists, or other joints. This typically occurs a few weeks or a few months after the tick bite occurred.
Neurological Symptoms
The tick bite that initially caused the Lyme disease can eventually lead to problems with the nervous system if left untreated. These can be quite serious and cause drastic symptoms. The infected person may, for example, experience problems moving muscles. He also may get Bell's palsy, which is paralysis that affects only one side of the face temporarily. Meningitis might occur as the Lyme disease is causing brain membrane inflammation. Loss of memory or trouble concentrating could be experienced as well as mood changes and changes in sleep patterns.
