Lyme Aware

The Stages Of Lyme Disease And Symptoms

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thumbnailCA8F30A1The Three Stages of Lyme Disease

When Lyme Disease is left untreated or undiagnosed it can affect any part of your body, your nervous system and organs. It affects each person differently depending on the condition of your health when infected, genetics, race, immune system, and if you have been infected with other tick-borne diseases at the same time such as Babesia, Bartonella, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichia, etc.

The list of symptoms can occur in many different combinations. You may have several of them or a few that can occur and re-occur at different times. Lyme affects each person or host in a different way. Please see a physician that is familiar with the different stages of Lyme Disease to confirm if you indeed have Lyme Disease.

Remember that there are two standards of care for its treatment. Also, remember that the Infectious Disease Society of America physicians do not believe in chronic Lyme Disease(See evidence-based review of Chronic Lyme Disease).  There also is a list of how it affects the body’s systems below.

Acute or Early Localized:

(sometimes referred to as First Stage — several days or weeks after a bite from an infected tick.)

  • Bull’s eye rash (erythema migrans) Only about 30% of the people develops this.
  • Flu like symptoms
  • fever (usually low grade), headache, stiff neck and joints, achiness, fatigue.

Early disseminated:

(sometimes referred to as Stage 2 — may develop several weeks or months after you become infected)

  • Rashes Fever (bit higher up to 102)
  •  Extreme Headaches Facial Palsy (similar to Bell’s Palsy)
  • Migrating Pains (come & go in joints/tendons)
  • Stiff, aching neck
  • Tingling/numbness in extremities (arms/legs)
  • Severe Fatigue
  • Irregular Pulse
  • Multiple enlarged lymph glands
  • Vision Changes (problems)
  • Muscle Tremors (twitching)
  • Heart Issues (irregularities, palpitations)
  • Cognition problems
  • Poor memory or concentration problems
  • Panic Attacks
  • Mood disorders

(Some of these are also in the Late Stage depending on how the condition of your health is at time of infection.)

Late Stage, Late Persistent or Late disseminated Lyme:

(sometimes referred to as Stage 3 — may develop weeks, months, or years after the initial infection,)

  • Rashes Fever (bit higher up to 102)
  • Extreme Headaches Facial Palsy (similar to Bell’s Palsy)
  • Migrating Pains (come & go in joints/tendons)
  • Stiff, aching neck
  • Tingling/numbness in extremities (arms/legs)
  • Severe Fatigue
  • Irregular Pulse
  • Multiple enlarged lymph glands
  • Vision Changes (problems)
  • Muscle Tremors (twitching)
  • Heart Issues (irregularities, palpitations)
  • Cognition problems
  • Poor memory or concentration problems
  • Panic Attacks
  • Mood disorders
  • Swelling and pain in the joints
  • Upset stomach or Gastrointestinal problems
  • Insomnia
  • Burning and/or stabbing pains
  • Disorientation/Getting lost
  • Vertigo
  • Problems speaking
  • Sweats/Chills
  • Breast bone/rib soreness
  • Word retrieval problems/word block
  • Heart damage
  • Shortness of breath
  • Tinnitus, ear ringing
  • Pericarditis
  • Feeling of fullness
  • Meningitis
  • Depression
  • Poor balance
  • Bladder problems
  • Hearing Sensitivity

See List for Children.

Please go to the following for more information:  

bodyWhat I Wish my PCP Knew about Lyme Disease
Testing & Forms of Lyme Disease
Basic Information on Lyme Disease
Two Standards of Care
International Lyme and Associated Diseases
National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association
LymeDisease.org (formerly California Lyme Disease Association)
Lyme Disease Association
Tick-borne Disease Alliance (formerly Turn the Corner Foundation)

How it Affects Certain Body Systems

Digestive/Endocrine or Gastrointestinal:

Change in bowel function, diarrhea, constipation, gastritis, abdominal cramping, irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction, cystitis, nausea or vomiting, anorexia; difficulty eating; liver infection, elevated liver enzymes; or enlarged spleen.

Miscellaneous/Immune Response:

Fever; fatigue or being tired all the time; sweats, or chills; weight change such as loss or gain; swollen glands or eyes; single or multiple rashes, hives; sore throat or difficulty swallowing; or hair loss.

Musculoskeletal:

Stiffness neck, back or joints; migrating joint/muscle pain such as knees, feet, hands, ankles and arms; swelling in toes, balls of feet; arthritis; burning in feet, migrating swelling of joints; shin splints; neck creaks and cracks, and TMJ.

Neurological:

Severe or re-occurring headaches; twitching or tremors of the face, eyelids or other muscles; headache, tingling/numbness, burning/stabbing of extremities or around body; irregular pulse or blood pressure; facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy); dizziness, light-headedness, poor balance, wooziness, increased motion sickness; difficulty walking; confusion or cognition problems such as difficulty in thinking, reading, or concentrating; poor memory or forgetfulness; poor short term memory; or disorientation such as getting lost or going to wrong place even in familiar places; white matter lesions ; speech problems or trouble talking, stuttering or hoarseness; Vision changes or problems such as double or blurry vision, eye pain, drooping of eyelids, blindness, increased floaters, increased sensitivity to light; hearing sensitivities or problems such as sound, buzzing or ringing in ears, ear pain, deafness or hearing loss; loss of reflexes; loss of coordination or motor functions; MS like syndrome; scleritis; conjunctivitis and seizures.

Neuropsychiatric:

Mood disorders such as mood swings, irritability, violent outbursts, or depression; insomnia or disturbed sleep such as too little or too much, or early awakening; personality changes for example obsessive compulsive disorder, paranoia, anxiety or panic attacks; mental deterioration, and hallucinations.

Pulmonary – Cardiac:

Shortness of breath, frequent respiratory infections or coughs, asthma, pneumonia; chest pain, breast/rib soreness , heart palpitations, irregularities, pulse skips, heart block, heart murmur or valve prolapse, myocarditis, pericarditis, enlarged heart, fainting, inflammation of muscle or membrane.

Reproductive:

Menstrual irregularities; frequent urinary tract infections; milk lactating problems (producing milk); miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects, stillbirth; or testicular pain/pelvic pain or swollen testicles.

This list is a compilation of a few different sources. This is not to be used as a tool to diagnose yourself or in lieu of seeing a physician. Always consult with a knowledgeable Lyme Literate physician.

You may also want to read the following blogs:
What I Wish My PCP Knew
Testing & Forms of Lyme Disease

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