Lyme disease is an illness that is still not properly understood by most people and many doctors. The disease is caught from a tick bite but it can be very difficult to diagnose and the longer it takes to diagnose the worse the symptoms can become. Every year 1,000 people in the UK and 300,000 in the US are diagnosed with Lyme disease. Below are some of the symptoms to watch out for that may tell if you or someone you care about has the disease.
A bite mark
A red rash with a red ring around a bite mark is an indication of a tick bite. This coupled with the other symptoms is a good indicator. Unfortunately, the rash and ring will not show up for everyone with the disease so there is more to look out for.
Headaches
One of the first signs of Lyme disease is headaches. This is what makes the disease difficult to spot in the early stages as we can attribute headaches to many other things.
Dizziness
Within the first 30 days, the symptoms of Lyme disease are quite like the flu. You may feel dizziness and other flu-like symptoms within one week of a bite.
Numbness and joint pain
The longer Lyme disease goes untreated the more varied the symptoms become. You may feel your feet getting numb and weakness in the limbs. Your joints will also start to ache and pain.
The rest
Lyme disease is still being understood by many doctors around the world and the list of possible symptoms is incredibly long. Memory loss, heart palpitations, slurred speech, facial paralysis, swollen eyes, and fatigue are just some of the reported symptoms. The key to addressing Lyme disease is to spot it early. The moment you ever feels symptoms out of the ordinary of the standard flu, see a doctor.
