LYME DISEASE

The signs and symptoms of Lyme disease tend to progress as the disease progresses. Yet not everyone who contracts Lyme disease exhibits all of the symptoms. Common signs and symptoms include:

Rash. A small, red bump may appear within a few days, even up to a month, at the site of the tick bite. Over the next few days, the redness expands and may resemble a bull's-eye with a red ring surrounding a clear area and a red center. The rash shows up at the site of the bite — usually in your groin, buttocks, underarm, waist or navel area, or behind your knee — and may be warm to the touch and mildly tender. The rash may affect up to as many as 80 percent of people who have Lyme disease, but may be overlooked or absent in some cases.

Flu-like symptoms. A fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.

Migratory joint pain. If the infection remains untreated, sharp pains might appear in any joint weeks to months later. Joint pain may appear for a few days then disappear and reappear in another joint.

Neurological problems. Inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs and poor muscle movement may occur weeks, months or even years after an untreated infection. Memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and changes in mood or sleep habits also can be symptoms of later-stage Lyme disease.

Less common signs and symptoms. A very few people may experience heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat, several weeks after infection, but this rarely lasts more than a few days or weeks. Other less common manifestations of the disease include eye inflammation, hepatitis and severe fatigue, although these don't usually show up unless other Lyme disease signs and symptoms are present.

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