It’s amazing how something as small as a deer tick can infect humans with a bacterium that causes significant physical and emotional problems. And it happens through a long process, or better yet, a vicious cycle. The deer tick carrying Lyme attaches to your body from the ground, where they live. They crawl up your body, searching for a spot to latch onto.
Once they decide on a spot, they start to burrow. They want to reach your blood, in which they will feast. If they get this far, they will release antibodies of the borrelia bacteria into your bloodstream, which will then find ways to travel through your body slowly. They do not flow through your blood. They attach to the lining of your blood vessels.
You must wait for these antibodies of the bacteria to enter your bloodstream and spread, which can take days, weeks or months before you can know for sure you do or do not have Lyme disease. And even then, doctors are not sure. Today, only two tests are available to doctors, and neither is 100% accurate. They are not even 50% accurate. Because of this, doctors rely heavily on the symptoms you describe during your visit.
If you can’t accurately describe your symptoms, obtaining the correct diagnosis can be more difficult. Below is a glimpse of the main symptoms associated with Lyme disease. If any of these symptoms are like what you are experiencing, seek help from a Lyme-literate doctor today. The symptoms associated with Lyme disease can be broken down according to the stage of the disease. Stages include early, late, post-treatment, and chronic.
Early Stage Lyme Disease
The early stage, also called acute Lyme disease, is within the first days and weeks. The tick has found a spot to bite or burrow, and the site may appear infected, red, or have a large round rash circling the spot where the tick broke the skin. At this point, the infection has not yet spread to the rest of the body.
The rash is sometimes called an erythema migrans rash or EM rash. It can look like a bullseye. It is incredibly important to note that not everyone will get a rash. Or, depending on where the tick bites you, they may not see the rash. There are other symptoms than a rash, however.
Symptoms
During this early stage, the symptoms that appear are often mistaken for other common illnesses, like the flu. People have reported having aches, chills, sweats, and fever. You may not connect these symptoms to Lyme disease if you did not have a rash.
If you see a rash, make the connection and visit your doctor immediately. Your doctor could also mistake your symptoms for a different illness. To avoid this, speak up. Ask for a Lyme disease test and for antibiotics.
Early Disseminated Stage of Lyme Disease
The early disseminated stage is when the bacteria contracted from the deer tick move into your bloodstream. This can take a while. You may have already been tested for Lyme, but your results returned negative. However, you may still have Lyme disease. That’s confusing, yes. The explanation involves a lack of sound testing systems and the slow process of how the infection spreads in your body.
Recognizing and documenting all symptoms is a crucial factor in receiving proper treatment. Your doctor should know that the two Lyme tests, the ELISA and the Western Blot, should be taken together and multiple times to rule out Lyme. That’s because Lyme symptoms can continue to show up years after the initial tick bite.
Symptoms
Symptoms during this stage include headaches, neck stiffness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, arthritis, and extreme fatigue. You may even feel numbing or tingling in your hands or feet. Some have reported facial paralysis or Bell’s palsy, which is a temporary event.
Late-Stage Lyme Disease
Late-stage Lyme disease is often considered the time after you have completed some form of treatment. This phase happens months, even years after the deer tick burrowed into your skin. During the late stage, your Lyme disease can become chronic, lasting longer than four or five months.
This can also lead to neurological symptoms. For instance, you’re at work, and for no reason and without warning, you get dizzy. Late-stage Lyme disease means the infection given to you by the tick is spreading through your blood to all parts of your body.
Symptoms
All the symptoms listed here can be seen in earlier stages. However, the intensity is greater. They can also last a lot longer. This means the symptoms will likely cause you more pain and problems. In late-stage Lyme disease, common neurological issues mimic vertigo and difficulty processing information.
You could become confused at times or have a hard time staying focused. You may even develop a sleep disorder. Remember, in the late stage, symptoms become more extreme. That’s why it is so important to work with a Lyme-literate physician.
Seeking Treatment
If your doctor recommends using only one test to determine if you have Lyme, and they refuse to test you multiple times during a year, they are not Lyme-literate. If your doctor’s only recommendation for treatment is one short round of antibiotics, they are not Lyme-literate. If they do not know about the latest Lyme treatments like therapeutic apheresis and oxidative therapy, you guessed it, they are not Lyme literate.
The right doctor for you is up to date on all things related to Lyme disease. They get certified and trained in new treatments and have the equipment to follow through with them. Finding a Lyme-literate doctor is your first step to overcoming the symptoms associated with Lyme disease. Find your doctor today.