Tick Borne Illnesses (LYME DISEASE)

Symptoms of Tickborne Illness

Many tick-borne diseases can have similar signs and symptoms. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness and often requires treatment when a definitive diagnosis has been established or a strong history has been obtained in the first few days of highly probable infection. The diagnosis is delicate as well as the treatment and we strongly recommend that you consult an infectious disease specialist before agreeing to an unnecessary treatment sometimes that must be administered If you have been bitten by a tick and develop the symptoms below within a few weeks, a health care provider should evaluate the following before deciding on a course of treatment:

Your symptoms:

The geographic region in which you were bitten even if you don't remember the bite
Special Diagnostic tests are required to establish when warranted by certain symptoms and potential exposure in certain geographic regions where you may have been bitten by infected ticks

The most common symptoms of tick-related illnesses are:

The symptoms can vary among individuals and be very subtle
Fever/chills: With all tickborne diseases, patients can experience a fever at varying degrees and time of onset.
Aches and pains: Tickborne disease symptoms include headache, fatigue, and muscle aches.
With Lyme disease, you may also experience joint pain. The severity and time of onset of these symptoms can depend on the disease and the patient's personal tolerance level.

Rash Lyme disease, southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), and ehrlichiosis, can result in distinctive rashes:

In Lyme disease, the rash may appear within 3-30 days, typically before the onset of fever. The Lyme disease rash is the first sign of infection and is usually a circular rash called erythema migrans or EM. This rash occurs in approximately 70-80% of infected persons and begins at the site of a tick bite. It may be warm but is not usually painful. Some patients develop additional EM lesions in other areas of the body several days later.

The rash of (STARI) is nearly identical to that of Lyme disease, with a red, expanding "bull's eye" lesion that develops around the site of a lone star tick bite. Unlike Lyme disease, STARI has not been linked to any arthritic or neurologic symptoms.

The rash seen with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) varies greatly from person to person in appearance, location, and time of onset. About 10% of people with RMSF never develop a rash. Most often, the rash begins 2-5 days after the onset of fever as small, flat, pink, non-itchy spots (macules) on the wrists, forearms, and ankles and spreads to the trunk. It sometimes involves the palms and soles. The red to purple, spotted (petechial) rash of RMSF is usually not seen until the sixth day or later after onset of symptoms and occurs in 35-60% of patients with the infection.

In about 30% of patients (and up to 60% of children), ehrlichiosis can cause a rash. The appearance of the rash ranges from macular to maculopapular to petechial and may appear after the onset of fever.

Tickborne diseases can result often in mild symptoms treatable at home but sometimes in severe infections requiring hospitalization. Although easily treated with antibiotics, these diseases can be difficult for physicians to diagnose. However, early recognition and treatment of the infection decrease the risk of serious complications. So see your doctor immediately if you have been bitten by a tick and experience any of the symptoms described here.

Consult a doctor for medical advice or visit us at PEOPLE CARE INSTITUTE for more information

Note: The information you see here is general and describes what usually happens with a medical condition, but doesn't apply to everyone. This information IS NOT a substitute for professional medical advice, so please make sure to contact a healthcare provider if you have a medical problem.