How serious is Lyme disease?

Although Lyme disease is rarely life-threatening, delayed treatment can result in more severe disease. People who notice a characteristic rash or other possible symptoms, should consult their healthcare provider.

How serious is Lyme disease in humans?

If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks.

Can you fully recover from Lyme disease?

Understanding Lyme disease treatment and potential complications can help clear up your concerns. Fortunately, most people with Lyme disease recover fully after completing a course of antibiotics. Lyme disease symptoms may persist for longer, but only in rare cases.

Does Lyme disease affect you for life?

Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a 2- to 4-week course of oral antibiotics, patients can sometimes have symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking that lasts for more than 6 months after they finish treatment. This condition is called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).

What is the death rate of Lyme disease?

Of 114 records, Lyme disease was coded as the underlying cause of death for 23 (20%) and as a multiple cause of death for 91 (80%) (Table 1).

What is Lyme Disease? | Lyme Disease Causes, Symptoms

Is Lyme disease fatal if untreated?

1 Symptoms vary based on the severity of the case. Untreated cases can progress to serious, even fatal health conditions, from arthritis and nerve pain to cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) or Lyme neuroborreliosis (inflammation of the brain and spine).

Who is most vulnerable to Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is most common in children 5 to 9 years old, and adults between 55 to 69 years old. This is likely due to outdoor activities that expose them to ticks.

Should I be worried if I have Lyme disease?

In the best cases you will have headed off trouble -- but if you notice any symptoms of the disease (a rash, headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle aches, and general tiredness), call your doctor immediately. And don't despair if your child is diagnosed with Lyme disease.

How painful is Lyme disease?

It's typically not itchy or painful but might feel warm to the touch. Erythema migrans is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease, although not everyone with Lyme disease develops the rash.

What are the 3 stages of Lyme disease?

What it's like to live with Lyme disease?

Muscle and joint pain can migrate from one body part to another. Patients can feel sick one day and well the next. Left untreated, Lyme can wreak havoc on the body causing arthritis, persistent joint pain, cognitive issues, neuropathy, encephalitis, exhaustion, tremors and sometimes fatal heart problems.

How long can you have Lyme disease without knowing?

In most cases, it takes from three to 30 days after being bitten by a tick to develop the initial symptoms of Lyme disease.

What organs does Lyme disease affect?

It can affect any organ of the body, including the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, and the heart. Patients with Lyme disease are frequently misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and various psychiatric illnesses, including depression.

How fast does Lyme disease progress?

Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons. Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days) Expands gradually over several days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across.

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.

Can late stage Lyme disease be cured?

When treated early, Lyme disease can be cured and most patients will recover completely. Even when treated in later stages, most patients will respond well to antibiotics, though there may be some chronic damage to the nervous system or joints.

What makes Lyme disease worse?

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.

What happens if you test positive for Lyme disease?

In some cases, you can have a positive result but not have an infection. Positive results may also mean you have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. If your lumbar puncture results are positive, it may mean you have Lyme disease, but you might need more tests to confirm a diagnosis.

Can your body fight off Lyme disease on its own?

Can Lyme Disease Go Away on Its Own? It is possible a person with Lyme disease can clear the infection on their own, but it's better to be treated because complications that can arise are very serious. For most people, the disease and its symptoms do not resolve without treatment.

Where are you most likely to get Lyme?

Cases of Lyme disease have been reported in nearly all states in the U.S. and in large areas in Europe and Asia, but the most common areas are the Northeast, upper Midwest and northwestern states.

Can you get Lyme disease without a tick bite?

If parts of its mouth are still stuck in your skin, that's OK. They will come out on their own and can't transmit Lyme disease without the tick body attached. It's best to remove a tick as soon as possible (within 24 hours). The longer an infected tick is attached, the more likely it is to transmit Lyme disease.

Can Lyme cause death?

Lyme disease plagues the Northeastern U.S. In rare cases, it can be fatal. Deaths are rare, but if Lyme bacteria enter the heart, the consequences can be serious.

What is late stage Lyme disease?

The CDC reports that late stage Lyme disease may appear days to months after the initial tick bite and may include but are not limited to: Severe headaches and neck stiffness. Additional EM rashes in new places on the body. Facial palsy, also known as Bell's palsy – paralysis of one side of the face.

Does Lyme disease cause weight gain?

Stubborn weight gain is not unusual in that the bacteria damage the metabolism, thyroid, adrenals, and gut.

Why is it difficult to treat Lyme disease?

The biggest problems seem to involve cases where the infection goes undiagnosed for a long time. The delay in getting prompt treatment gives the organism time to infiltrate nerve cells, the brain, other organs, collagen and connective tissue, making it hard to purge from the body, according to Mr. Wilson.