The Basics of Lyme Disease

Few can resist the allure of a warm afternoon spent in the backyard. Whether it’s a family barbecue, a lazy afternoon reading in a hammock or a day spent working in the garden, there’s many ways to have fun in the backyard on a warm day.

A backyard can feel like an oasis, but even the most peaceful refuge is not safe from hazards, including ticks. Black-legged ticks pose a particular threat to individuals who live in specific regions, as these unwelcome critters may carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. Recognition of Lyme disease, its symptoms and potential treatment plans is important for anyone planning to spend time relaxing in their backyards anytime soon.

Explaining Lyme disease

The Cleveland Clinic notes that Lyme disease is most often caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria carried by black-legged ticks, which are sometimes referred to as “deer ticks.” (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates some cases of Lyme disease are caused by the bacteria Borrellia mayonii, though such cases are rare.) Lyme disease is named after the small town in Connecticut where the disease was first recognized nearly half a century ago. The CDC reports that Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States.

How is Lyme disease transmitted?

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected black-legged tick. Though there are many varieties of ticks, Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that only the black-legged deer tick and Western black-legged tick transmit Lyme disease.

What are some symptoms of Lyme disease?

The CDC indicates that Lyme disease produces a wide range of symptoms, and those symptoms vary depending on how long it’s been since a person was bitten by a tick.

Early symptoms of Lyme disease may appear as soon as three days after a bite and as late as 30 days after a bite. The CDC characterizes symptoms appearing between three and 30 days after a bite as “early symptoms,” which may include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint aches
• Swollen lymph nodes may occur in the absence of a rash
• Erythema migrans (EM) is a rash that occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons. The rash begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of three to 30 days (average time to appear is about seven days. The rash expands gradually over several days, reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 centimeters) across. EM may feel warm to the touch but is not typically itchy or painful. EM sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull’s-eye” appearance, and the rash may appear on any area of the body

Some symptoms may appear days to months after a tick bite, and these may include:

• Severe headaches and neck stiffness
• Additional EM rashes that appear on other areas of the body
• Facial palsy characterized by a loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face
• Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees and other large joints.
• Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
• Lyme carditis, a condition characterized by heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat
• Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
• Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
• Nerve pain
• Shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

Can Lyme disease be treated?

Many cases of Lyme disease are successfully treated after a few weeks of antibiotics. However, some people report persistent symptoms even after antibiotic treatments, and the CDC notes additional research is necessary to help people in such situations.

Lyme disease is something to keep in mind as warm weather returns. More information about Lyme disease is available at cdc.gov.