Lyme Association of
Greater Kansas City

Lyme Disease Overview and Symptoms

Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, poses a serious health crisis both nationally and internationally. Transmitted by the bite of a tick, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the spirochete (spiral shaped bacteria) Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease is a systemic infection that can affect almost any part of the body. Although Lyme disease is the most well known of the tick-borne infections, multiple infections can be tranferred at one time by a single tick. The presence of multiple infections tends to further complicate diagnosis and treatment.

Lyme disease is found in many countries worldwide. In the United States, Lyme disease has been reported from 49 states, with the highest prevalence in the northeastern, north-central, and Pacific coastal regions. However, ticks are creaping inland as they are carried by travelers and migrating birds. It is important to take proper precautions nation-wide to reduce the risk of contracting tick-borne pathogens.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Lyme disease should be diagnosed clinically, which includes factors such as symptoms and exposure to infected ticks. Lyme disease must not be ruled out solely on the basis of a negative test result. While a "bulls-eye" rash is diagnostic for Lyme disease, the types of rashes seen in Lyme disease vary greatly. Further, a significant number of patients do not recall any rash or tick-bite. Symptoms can appear quickly or develop over time. Since Lyme is a multisystem disease, the list of symptoms is long, and it is common to see symptoms affecting multiple systems. Early in the illness Lyme disease can be confused with the flu, but as the disease progresses it can lead to cardiac, musculoskeletal, neurological, and/or other system involvement. Patients with chronic Lyme disease often experience severe headaches, fatigue, pain, insomnia, and memory problems. Chronic Lyme disease can render people completely disabled. For a comprehensive list of symptoms, please see the symptom list below.

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics, either orally or intravenously. Prompt and thorough treatment early in the illness is the most effective method for preventing a persistent, disabling condition. There is no known cure for chronic Lyme disease, and its treatment is surrounded by much controversy. However, many patients find improvements when treated long term, either for Lyme disease bacterial infection and/or for the presence of co-infection.

According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), "Lyme disease is the latest great imitator and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of MS, ALS, seizure and other neurologic conditions, as well as arthritis, CFS, Gulf war syndrome, ADHD, hypochondriasis, fibromyalgia, somatization disorder and patients with various difficult-to-diagnose multi-system syndromes." Not only can Lyme disease be incorrectly diagnosed as other conditions, it can also occur concurrently with other conditions or be diagnosed incorrectly. Therefore, patients who suspect Lyme disease must have a full clinical evaluation by a knowledgeable, "Lyme Literate" physician. The best referrals are obtained through local patients and support groups.

In addition to Lyme disease, the following infections are also transmitted by ticks: Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Bartonellosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia and certain viruses. See the "other tick diseases" section for more information about these diseases.

Symptoms    

Lyme Disease is a clinical diagnosis.  The results of commonly marketed antibody tests to detect Borrelia burgdorferi (anti Bb), the organism that causes Lyme Disease, may be misinterpreted.According to the FDA Public Health Advisory dated July 7, 1997,  "Physicians are advised to base diagnosis on history (including symptoms and exposure to the tick vector) physical findings and laboratory data other than anti Bb blood results."

In addition to Lyme, the co-infections of Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are prevalent in Southeastern  Pennsylvania.

The following is a list of symptoms resulting from Lyme and co-infections. An infected person may experience some or many of these symptoms, which is why diagnosis is often difficult.  Check the boxes that apply to you when you see your doctor.

The Tick Bitemay go unnoticed, especially in the spring, when ticks are small or in instances where transmission other than a bite occurs (i.e. placental transmission, blood transfusion, etc.).

q Tick bite
q Rash basically circular, sometimes spreading (rash occurs in less than 50% of Lyme patients, may be on body parts other than bite site)

Musculoskeletal System
q Joint pain or swelling
q Stiffness of joints, back, neck
q Muscle pain or cramps
q Creaking, cracking joints
q Heel pain
q Spinal sensitivity
q Movement of pain or swelling to different joints

Neurologic System
q Headache - persistent/severe
q Bell's Palsy (facial paralysis)
q Burning or stabbing pains
q Tremors or unexplained shaking
q Numbness in body and/or extremities, tingling, pinpricks
q Weakness or partial paralysis
q Pressure in the head
q Lightheadedness, wooziness
q Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
q Increased motion sickness
q Seizures, stroke symptoms
q Restless legs

Mental Capability
q Memory loss (short or long term)
q Confusion, difficulty in thinking
q Forgetting how to perform simple tasks
q Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
q Stammering, stuttering speech
q Going to the wrong place

Psychological well-being
q Mood swings, irritability
q Unusual depression
q Panic-anxiety attacks
q Overemotional reactions, crying easily
q Aggression, rage
q Too much sleep, insomnia
q Difficulty falling or staying asleep
q Obsessive-compulsive behavior
q Suicidal thoughts
q Paranoia
q Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)

Head, Face, Neck
q Stiff or painful neck
q Headache, mild or severe
q Twitching of facial or other muscles
q Jaw pain or stiffness
q Sore throat
q Unexplained hair loss
q Scalp rash

Eyes, Vision
q Floaters
q Double or blurry vision
q Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes
q Light sensitivity
q Flashing lights
q Tearing and/or dry
q Vision loss/Blindness

Ears/Hearing
q Decreased hearing in one or both ears
q Buzzing or ringing in ears (tinnitus)
q Pain in ears
q Sound sensitivity

Digestive and Excretory System
q Diarrhea
q Constipation
q Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping)
q Frequent urination
q Upset stomach, vomiting
q Bloating
q Gastroesophageal reflux

Respiratory/Circulatory System
q Shortness of breath
q Chest pain or rib soreness
q Night sweats or unexplained chills
q Heart palpitations or extra beats
q Heart block, heart attack
q Valve prolapse, murmurs

Reproduction
q Loss of sex drive
q Sexual dysfunction
q Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity
q Unexplained breast pain, discharge
q Testicular or pelvic pain

General Well-being
q Extreme fatigue
q Symptoms change, come and go
q Pain moves to different body parts
q Unexplained weight gain or loss
q Malaise
q Chills
q All types of rashes on the body and /or scalp
q Swollen glands
q Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
q Itching
q Continual infections (sinus, kidney, yeast, bladder, etc.)
q Increased sensitivity to allergens
q Exaggerated  response to alcohol or sweets
q Nodules under the skin
q Early on, experienced a flu-like illness, after which you have not felt well since.