The 3 stages of Lyme

There are three stages of Lyme Disease.

The first stage of Lyme Disease is called the early localized infection. This stages happens immediately and can last up to about the 4th week after the tick bite. Some people infected get what's called a bulls eye rash. The technical term is called Erythema Migrans. A lot of Lyme patients call it the EM rash. It is very important to point out that not all that are infected with Lyme get this rash. It's also important to recognize that the EM rash could be hidden in the scalp area underneath hair. When you are bitten by a tick, it's important to do daily checks with a mirror to check all hidden areas for unusual rashes. If possible, have someone check your scalp too.

In the first stage of Lyme, it is possible to get several symptoms. Some get flu-like symptoms with or without the rash. The lack of energy seems to be the most common symptom and a lot of people ignore this extremely important symptom by thinking the lack of energy is caused by something else (working too hard, playing too hard, staying up too late, not getting enough sleep and the list goes on). Some other symptoms that may appear in the early localized stage are headaches, stiff neck, fever, chills, muscle and/or joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. In some occasions, people may not even notice a single symptom during the early localized infection stage.

When Lyme Disease is not detected or treated right away when early symptoms arise, the infection may (and often does) spread to multiple systems in your body in the early disseminated infection stage. This can happen almost immediately around week 4, depending on your immune system, to the 4th month. The infection could cause problems with the skin, joints, nervous system and heart within weeks to months of the initial infection. Symptoms that may appear during the early disseminated stage are rashes, tiredness, pain, weakness, numbness, paralysis in the face, recurring headaches, fainting, inability to concentrate, memory loss and rapid heart beats.

If the Disease isn't treated properly and swiftly, Lyme turns into a Chronic Infection called Late Persistant Infection. Damage can be done to the brain, nerves and joints months to years after the initial infection. You may have swelling and pain in the joints, numbness, tingling, severe fatigue, neurological changes, sleep disturbances, problems speaking, chronic arthritis, problems of the heart and difficulties with your nervous system.

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It is important to get treated right away because as you can see within months of a tick bite things can get really serious really quickly. If you aren't aware of your tick bite, physicians look at all the problems seperately and often patients are sent on a wild goose chase.