Lyme Disease Symptoms

Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Other early symptoms of Lyme disease can include fatigue, fever or chills, headache, muscle aches, joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. The rash expands over time and some people infected with Lyme disease will also develop other erythema migrans lesions in other areas several days after the infection. If the infection is left untreated it can spread to other parts of the body. As it spreads over time, additional symptoms of Lyme disease can include loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face (also known as facial or Bell's palsy), intense headaches and neck pain due to meningitis, heart palpitations, dizziness, shooting pains, lack of sleep due to pains, and pain that moves from joint to joint. While these symptoms can be painful, many will resolve even if a patient does not undergo treatment, thus it is important to visit a doctor if you begin to experience these symptoms, even if they resolve on their own.

Long Term Lyme Disease Symptoms and Complications
After several months without treatment, about 60% of those infected with Lyme disease will experience irregular bouts of arthritis that include severe joint pain and body swelling, mostly in larger joins such as the knees. Up to 5% of untreated Lyme disease patients could possibly develop chronic neurological problems such as shooting pains, numbness in hands and feet, tingling in hands and feet, and concentration or short term memory problems.

If Lyme disease is spotted early, it can usually be cured with antibiotics but a small percentage of Lyme disease patients can have symptoms for months or years even after antibiotic treatment. These lasting symptoms include joint and muscle pain, arthritis, cognitive defects, sleep problems, or fatigue.