Lyme disease is an infection that is spread from a tick bite. You are most likely to find ticks when walking in grassy or wooded areas. Once a tick gets on you, it may bite you and feed on your blood.
Lyme DiseaseLyme disease is an infection that is spread from a tick bite. You are most likely to find ticks when walking in grassy or wooded areas. Once a tick gets on you, it may bite you and feed on your blood.Most tick bites do not cause Lyme disease. But if you live in an area with many ticks and Lyme disease is common, you are more at risk.Antibiotic medicines work well to treat Lyme disease. They work best when you get early treatment.SymptomsMost people who get Lyme disease have a red rash. The rash looks like a bull's eye. It starts from the bite site and develops a larger outer red ring with a clear ring in between.The rash will feel warm, but it won't itch or hurt. It may appear between three and 30 days after the bite. More often, it shows up about one week later.You may get body aches, fever, chills, swollen glands, and headache. These can happen with or without the rash.If you have a rash or fever within several weeks of taking a tick off your skin, see your healthcare provider. Be sure to tell him or her when the tick bite happened and where you most likely got the tick.The most serious symptoms start if Lyme disease is not treated. You may get severe headaches and neck stiffness, additional rashes on other parts of your body, and severe joint pain and swelling, especially in your knees.This often happens weeks to months after the tick bite.Over time, you may get weakness on one side of your face. This is called Bell's palsy.You may also get heart problems, numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, nerve pain, episodes of dizziness, or shortness of breath, and shot-term memory problems. These symptoms can happen weeks, months, or even years after the tick bite.CausesThe cause of Lyme disease is a bacterium called Borelis burgdorferi. It infects deer ticks. Ticks live on deer but also feed on animals such as mice, cats, dogs, and horses.You can get infected by the bacterium when a tick gets on your skin and starts to feed. The tick needs to be attached to your skin for at least 36 to 48 hours to infect you.DiagnosisYour healthcare provider may treat you for Lyme disease. If you have had a tick bite and a red rash, your healthcare provider may also have you take a blood test. This is because the other symptoms of Lyme disease can be for many conditions.Blood tests for Lyme disease look for antibodies. These are proteins that your body makes to protect against the bacterium. It may take 4 to 6 weeks for you to make these antibodies. Because of this, the blood tests may be done after you've been treated, or they may be done if you have not been treated but are having symptoms.Treatment optionsThe treatment for Lyme disease is antibiotics. You will likely take antibiotics by mouth for 10 to 21 days to clear up an early infection.If you have later stage Lyme disease, your healthcare provider may have you take antibiotics through your vein.Sometimes, people treated with the recommended 3 to 4 weeks of antibiotics still have fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches when they finish the medicine.In a small number of people, these symptoms can last more than six months. This is known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, or PTLDS. These symptoms do not mean you still have an infection or that you need more antibiotics. The good news is that people with PTLDS almost always get better as time passes.Be sure to let your healthcare provider know if you are or may be pregnant. Lyme disease treatment can be given if you are pregnant, but certain antibiotics will not be used.Even though you build up antibodies after a Lyme disease infection, you do not become resistant to it. You can get the disease again from another tick bite. If this happens, you will need to be treated again.What to doPrevent tick bites by staying on paths in the woods or fields. Stay away from woods or fields during peak tick seasons in your area.Wear protective clothing and tuck your pants into your socks.Keep your dog leashed so it's less likely to pick up ticks.Apply insect repellant with DEET to your skin and clothing. Use products that contain picaridin or permethrin on clothing.Clear your yard of brush and woodpiles.Regularly check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks. Remember that ticks may be as small as the head of pin.Take a shower after coming in from the woods or fields. Wash your clothes and dry them on high heat.If you find a tick, remove it by grasping its head with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling it up and out with steady even pressure without twisting it.If the tick's mouth parts break off, and you can't get them out, leave the area alone and let the skin heal.After removing the tick, clean the area with alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. Get rid of a live tick by either placing it in alcohol, sealing it in a bag, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush the tick with your fingers.Call your healthcare provider if you have been bitten or exposed to ticks, and you have a rash or other symptoms of Lyme disease.What we have learnedLyme disease is an infection you can get from a tick bite. True or False?The answer is True.The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a red rash that looks like a bull's eye. True or False?The answer is True.Lyme disease will often go away on its own and treatment is not needed. True or False?The answer is False. Antibiotics are needed to treat Lyme disease.
Online Medical Reviewer: Turley, Raymond Jr, PA-C
Online Medical Reviewer: Zingman, Barry, MD
Date Last Reviewed: 08/01/2020
© 2000-2025 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.