Lyme disease remains the most common tick-borne illness in North America, according to MayoClinic.com. The condition spreads when a deer tick, infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, feeds on the blood of an animal or human. The longer the infected tick remains attached to the skin, the more likely an infection will occur. A person is more likely to become infected with Lyme disease when visiting a heavily wooded or grassy area infested with ticks carrying the infectious bacterium. Treatment with antibiotics often allows for complete recovery; the earllier one is treated, the faster the recovery.
Rash
A rash forms at the site of the tick bite. The rash may immediately form or appear up to a month later, reports MayoClinic.com. The skin turns warm to the touch and may be tender and red. As the rash expands, it may grow in size up to 12 inches in diameter. The rash commonly looks like a bulls-eye—a red ring with a clear area of skin and a red dot in the middle of the ring. Also known as erythema migrans, the bulls-eye rash remains one of the concrete signs of Lyme disease and affects nearly 80 percent of all victims, advises MayoClinic.com. However, the rash may not always be circular in shape. It may appear oval or triangular, as well. As the infection spreads, additional rashes may appear on the body.
Bodily Symptoms
Additional symptoms similar to the flu are often present, including fever, body aches and chills. A person may suffer from headaches as well as severe fatigue. The neck and body muscles remain sore and generally tender, notes the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Symptoms may become so severe that muscle weakness as well as Bell’s palsy, or facial paralysis, become present.
Swollen Joints
Left untreated, a person with Lyme disease suffers from stiff and swollen joints, especially in the knees. Attacks last a few days to a few months, reports the Cleveland Clinic. The swelling and pain in the joints may shift from one joint to another. Between 10 and 20 percent of patients remaining untreated develop chronic arthritis, explains the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
