Frequently Asked Questions on Lyme Disease
What Patients ask about Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infection caused by a kind of bacteria called a spirochete that is typically carried by deer ticks and western black-legged ticks. These ticks can spread the disease to animals and humans through tick bites. Although Lyme disease is common in rural and suburban areas in the northeastern and Midwestern states, Lyme disease is also found in other parts of the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia and Australia.
What happens in the early stages of Lyme disease?
Symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash called erythema migrans, which appears 3 to 30 days after a tick bite. This rash usually starts at the site of the tick bite and may begin as a small red spot, growing larger over time. Sometimes, the center may fade, creating a "bull's eye" or ring appearance. The rash may burn, hurt or itch, or you may not feel it.
Additional symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, stiff neck, fatigue, muscle aches and joint pain. Early Lyme disease can spread to the heart or the nervous system in a few people. An irregular or slow heartbeat may occur if Lyme disease spreads to the heart. Early spread of Lyme disease to the nervous system can cause the face to droop.
What happens in the later stages of Lyme disease?
When Lyme disease is left untreated, it spreads to other parts of the body. Arthritis (painful, swollen joints) and nervous system problems are all symptoms of late Lyme disease. Although Lyme arthritis often affects only one of the large joints, such as the knee, it may also affect more than one joint. Trouble concentrating, loss of memory, muscle weakness, and tingling and numbness in the arms and legs are some of the symptoms of the nervous system disorder caused by late Lyme disease. However, Lyme disease rarely causes such nervous system problems.
How can my doctor diagnose Lyme disease?
If you suspect you have Lyme disease, the best thing to do is to talk to your family doctor about your symptoms. Since blood tests often give false results, blood tests aren't always necessary to make the diagnosis. This is due to the fact that people who have been sick with Lyme disease for less than a month often don't develop antibodies to the disease, meaning the blood test would turn out negative due to the lack of antibodies. In addition, if a person with early Lyme disease takes antibiotics, he or she may never have a positive Lyme disease test. However, the blood test is almost always positive in people who have been sick for over 4 weeks and haven't taken antibiotics.