Can you have Lyme disease for 20 years?

In the early 1990s, it also became apparent that patients may develop pain, fatigue, or neurocognitive syndromes soon after contracting Lyme disease, with these conditions sometimes persisting for years [24–26].
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Can Lyme disease last 20 years?

If treated, Lyme disease does not last for years. However, for some people, the after-effects of the disease can linger for months and sometimes even years. Alternative medicine providers call this condition "Chronic Lyme disease," but this title is simply wrong.
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Can Lyme disease lay dormant for 20 years?

Lyme disease can remain dormant for weeks, months or even years. When symptoms do eventually develop, they can be severe and patients often need aggressive treatment.
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Can you have Lyme disease for 15 years?

But because she had been sick for so long, some of her health problems were irreversible. “Ultimately, no matter how much work you do to treat Lyme, when you've had it for 15 years, that's bacteria that's just growing and growing and taking over in your system,” she said. “Some of that damage is just not fixable.”
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Can you live with Lyme disease for years?

See your doctor even if symptoms disappear

Untreated, Lyme disease can spread to other parts of your body for several months to years after infection, causing arthritis and nervous system problems. Ticks can also transmit other illnesses, such as babesiosis and Colorado tick fever.
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It Took 19 Years To Learn I Have Lyme Disease



Does Lyme disease stay in your body forever?

No. Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stages of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. Most patients who are treated in later stages of the disease also respond well to antibiotics, although some may have suffered long-term damage to the nervous system or joints.
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What does chronic Lyme feel like?

Chronic Lyme disease is an ongoing Borrelia burgdorferi infection that can involve any body system or tissue. The infection produces a wide range of symptoms and signs, which can be debilitating for some patients. Common symptoms include severe fatigue, migratory musculoskeletal pain, headaches, and impaired memory.
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Can Lyme disease affect you 10 years later?

If Lyme disease is not diagnosed and treated early, the spirochetes can spread and may go into hiding in different parts of the body. Weeks, months or even years later, patients may develop problems with the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, heart and circulation, digestion, reproductive system, and skin.
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What are the symptoms of Lyme disease years later?

Chronic Lyme survivors have reported experiencing the following symptoms for months to years after infection:
  • Intermittent fevers, chills, and sweats.
  • Chronic inflammation.
  • Roving aches and stiffness.
  • Numbness and tingling in the limbs.
  • Dizziness and shortness of breath.
  • Tremors.
  • Respiratory infections.
  • Sore throats.
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What are symptoms of late stage Lyme disease?

Late persistent Lyme disease
  • Arthritis that most often affects the knee. ...
  • Numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, or back.
  • Feeling very tired.
  • Not being able to control the muscles of the face.
  • Problems with memory, mood, or sleep, and sometimes problems speaking.
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Can late Lyme disease be cured?

Like the less severe forms of Lyme disease, late Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, although medical opinions differ about the appropriate length of an antibiotic treatment course.
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What are neurological symptoms of Lyme disease?

Neurological complications most often occur in the second stage of Lyme disease, with numbness, pain, weakness, Bell's palsy (paralysis of the facial muscles), visual disturbances, and meningitis symptoms such as fever, stiff neck, and severe headache.
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What happens if Lyme disease is left untreated?

What happens if Lyme disease is untreated? Left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to joints and organs, causing significant damage. Arthritis, heart disease, and nervous system problems are common complications of untreated Lyme disease.
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How long does Lyme disease last if untreated?

Without treatment, it can last 4 weeks or longer. Symptoms may come and go. Untreated, the bacteria can spread to the brain, heart, and joints.
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How is long term Lyme disease treated?

In the majority of cases, it is successfully treated with oral antibiotics. In some patients, symptoms, such as fatigue, pain and joint and muscle aches, persist even after treatment, a condition termed “Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS)”.
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Does Lyme arthritis go away?

Both Lyme disease and RA can become debilitating if not treated. When treated, Lyme arthritis symptoms usually go away. On the other hand, treatment for RA can slow the progression of the disease, but not cure it.
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Can MRI detect Lyme disease?

Overview. MRI is not helpful in diagnosis of Lyme disease. However, an MRI may be helpful in diagnosing neurologic manifestations of early and late disseminated Lyme disease.
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Can Lyme cause permanent damage?

Without treatment, Lyme can cause permanent damage. But most people with late-stage Lyme disease can recover if they get treatment with antibiotics.
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What is stage 3 Lyme disease?

Late Persistent Lyme Disease (Stage 3)

It's the most severe stage and can occur months to years following the initial infection. Damage to the joints, nerves, and brain is possible if not treated. Muscle and joint pain is the most common complaint of those in late-stage Lyme disease, affecting 80% of untreated people.
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What causes Lyme flare ups?

Triggers for Lyme disease vary by person, but they can include: emotional stress (such as a divorce, death in the family, or accidents) physical stress to the body (i.e., surgery, physical harm, concussion) life stress or stressful events.
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How do you test for chronic Lyme disease?

There is no set test to check for chronic Lyme disease. Initially, a doctor is likely to use an antibody test to look for the antibodies that the body produces to fight the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. Two standard tests are the Western blot test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test.
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Can Lyme trigger an autoimmune disease?

A growing number of studies indicate that Lyme disease may trigger an autoimmune response in some individuals or symptoms may mimic an autoimmune disease.
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What disease does Justin Bieber have?

Last January, Bieber revealed that he'd been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Spread to humans from tick bites, symptoms can include headaches, tiredness, muscle and joint pain and loss of energy. Bieber posted a message on Instagram revealing the diagnosis and saying he had experienced “a rough couple of years”.
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Can MS be mistaken for Lyme disease?

Lyme disease and MS are often confused

The symptoms of Lyme disease and MS can be similar. Doctors may confuse one with the other. To diagnose these conditions, your doctor will need to conduct blood and other tests.
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What does Lyme neuropathy feel like?

The symptoms may include: Pain that could be described as “sharp,” “burning,” or “throbbing” Pins-and-needles tingling sensations, most often felt in the hands and feet. Numbness or a reduced ability to feel sensation.
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