When a kid gets Lyme disease from a tick bite, there are a range of possible symptoms he can experience, and they usually come in a specific sequence. However, not all children get all the symptoms, which often makes the disease difficult to diagnose. Luckily, if you see some of the signs and suspect Lyme disease, your child's doctor can do a blood test to verify it.
Circular Rash
While some kids never develop it, a circular rash around the infected tick bite is usually the first sign of Lyme disease. This rash will normally show up within a week or two, but it can take as long as 30 days to appear, and hangs around for a few hours to a few weeks. It can also go away, and then reappear several weeks later. This rash often has a pink center, with a ring of clear skin around it and an expanding raised red circle surrounding that, which makes it look like a bull's eye target. It may start out smaller than an inch but can end up six inches in diameter. In kids with darker skin tones, it might look more like a bruise. It's not usually itchy or painful but can feel warm if you touch it.
Flu-Like Symptoms
Sometimes the rash goes hand-in-hand with flu-like symptoms, including headache, muscle aches, fever, chills, fatigue, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and a general feeling of illness. This usually happens within a few weeks after being bitten by the tick, and some kids get these symptoms even if they don't have the circular rash. However, sometimes other rashes can show up that aren't near the bite site. If the infection spreads throughout the body, other problems can develop, too, such as an irregular heartbeat, chest pain, facial paralysis known as Bell's palsy, fainting, sensitivity to light, numb or tingly arms and legs, joint pain and swelling, or neck stiffness, which could indicate meningitis.
Arthritis
If Lyme disease is not detected and treated in the earlier stages, the last stage can be arthritis, especially in the knees. This can show up weeks after the infection starts, or lay dormant for years. Another possible late symptom is memory lapse, but it happens far more often in adults with Lyme disease than kids or teens.
