Your Pain Moves Around Your Body
Another hallmark sign of Lyme is migratory pain â that is, pain that travels from one body part to the other. You might, for example, find that your right knee is hurting one day and your left knee is hurting the next. Common kinds of pain associated with Lyme include joint paint and nerve pains that create shooting or zapping sensations, says Reihman.
What Are The Second Stage Signs And Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
The symptoms of second stage, early disseminated, Lyme disease can be difficult to attribute. Symptoms include severe fatigue, fever, pain, intermittent weakness and achiness of the muscles and joints, numbness in arms and legs, vision changes, and cognitive dysfunction such as short-term memory difficulties and problems multitasking. These symptoms are not specific for Lyme disease and can make the diagnosis of second stage Lyme disease very challenging.
More recognizable Lyme disease nervous system manifestations include facial paralysis , or meningitis with severe headache and stiff neck. Notable cardiac manifestations include passing out or feeling faint from an abnormally slow heart rate, irregular heart palpitations, or unexplained difficulty tolerating exercise. Meningitis and carditis are both potentially serious Lyme disease conditions and warrant immediate medical attention.
How Does Lyme Disease Affect The Joints
Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria transmitted from the bite of an infected blacklegged tick . A bulls-eye shaped rash is an easily recognizable sign of this tick borne disease however, if the rash doesnt appear or goes unnoticed, Lyme disease is often confused with other conditions due to the common nature of its flu-like symptoms.
Lyme disease can typically be treated with a course of antibiotics however, if left untreated, the infection can develop into a chronic disorder affecting the heart, joints, and nervous system. Once the disease reaches this stage, the infection may be managed, but the damage it has caused can be irreversible. .
Also Check: How Long Does A Lyme Test Take
Be Ready For Trial And Error
Lyme-related joint pain takes time to both diagnose and treat. In the meantime, there are many things you can do to decrease inflammation and pain. As every Lyme patient is different, try not to get too frustrated if what works for someone else doesnt work for you. Be patient as you experiment with diet, herbs, exercise, alignment, and releasing tight fascia. You will find tools that help you. Reach out and surround yourself with people who understand you and are on your side. We are all healing together.
Natural Solutions For Lyme Arthritis
Pain medications and other drugs dont always do an adequate job at mitigating symptoms and quelling inflammation over the long haul, not to mention they can come with a host of unwanted side effects. Consequently, patients often look for other means to relieve pain and discomfort. The following suggestions can help you get things back on track:
Don’t Miss: Lyme Disease Specialist In Colorado
My Horrible Story With Lyme Disease:
And it is from these nasty things that lyme disease is spread. Now for me, I did not understand what this condition was or how it would change my life for the worse for years to come until a month after the camping trip occurred that I first began to experience the first symptoms of it and that was on my right knee.
The first time I experienced a slight discomfort there was while I was in middle school. At the time, I dismissed it was
Man with knee pain on color background
a muscle pull and paid it no attention.
However, the next day, as soon as I woke up and moved my knee, darkness filled my eyes, sharp pains hit the knee and I literally screamed in pain. After I removed the cover, I noticed the same knee that was giving me discomfort was now swollen and I could not bend it at all.
In fact, any motion to try and move it, let alone stand on it would result in me falling and/or having immense pain. Obviously I stayed home that day, but an immediate appointment was made to see my pediatrician at the time.
When he examined me, he could not understand what was going on and none of the questions he asked, that I gave an answer to, made sense to him. To his knowledge, everything he knew was swelling and knee problems just didnt fit with what I was experiencing.
What Are The Symptoms
The main feature of Lyme arthritis is obvious swelling of one or a few joints. While the knees are affected most often, other large joints such as the shoulder, ankle, elbow, jaw, wrist, and hip can also be involved. The joint may feel warm to the touch or cause pain during movement. Joint swelling can come and go or move between joints, and it may be difficult to detect in the shoulder, hip, or jaw. Lyme arthritis typically develops within one to a few months after infection.
Recommended Reading: Royall Lyme All Purpose Lotion
When To Consider Testing For Lyme
You might be wondering if your joint pain could be related to Lyme disease, especially if youve had a blacklegged tick bite in the past.
The CDC estimates that a staggering 90% of cases of Lyme disease may go undiagnosed in the US each year. So while approximately 30,000 reported cases of Lyme reported annually, as noted, the actual number of cases may be closer to 300,000.
Lyme disease is often called the great imitator, because it mirrors many other diseases. These include, but are not limited to, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Unfortunately, unless you live in an area considered Lyme endemic, such as the northeastern United States, most conventional doctors may not think to test you for Lyme.
If your symptoms include waxing and waning flu-like symptoms, brain fog, fatigue, or joint pain, and if you think you may have had a tick bite in the past, consider asking your doctor for a test for Lyme disease. Remember that some people with Lyme experience have all of the above symptoms and more, while some experience just one. Also be aware that the ELISA test commonly given by conventional doctors is not always accurate, as it tests for antibodies that may or may not be present at the time of testing. My initial ELISA test came back negative it had been a year since my initial tick bite but my symptoms were in full force.
Read Also: Essential Oils For Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease Is The Most Common Tick
Approximately 35,000 cases of Lyme disease, an infection transmitted by ticks, are reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year. The illness is primarily spread by the bite of blacklegged ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.
However, estimates based on insurance claims show that more than ten times that number about 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, even if they don’t report it directly to the CDC.
Lyme disease can also be tricky to diagnose, as many of the symptoms can occur with other infections. Doctors may consider your lifestyle, as well as the region where you live to determine if you’re likely to have been exposed to blacklegged ticks. Also known as deer ticks, the insects are local to the northeast and have spread southward and to parts of the Midwest.
Here are five physical signs to look out for if you are at risk of contracting Lyme disease.
Read Also: What Are The Co Infections Of Lyme Disease
Chronic Lyme Arthritis: A Mystery Solved
- By John Ross, MD, FIDSA, Contributing Editor
In 1975, researchers from Yale investigated an epidemic of 51 patients with arthritis who lived near the woodsy town of Lyme, Connecticut. The most common symptom was recurrent attacks of knee swelling. A few had pain in other joints, such as the wrist or ankle. Many had fever, fatigue, and headache. Some remembered a round skin rash before the onset of knee swelling.
We now know that Lyme disease is an infection acquired from tick bites, caused by a spiral bacterium named Borrelia burgdorferi. After a tick bite, Borrelia bacteria wriggle through the skin away from the bite site. This leads to a circular red rash, known as erythema migrans. In its more advanced stages, erythema migrans may take on a bullseye appearance. Many people are unaware of the rash, as it is usually painless, and ticks may bite in less visible locations, such as a buttock or shoulder blade.
Lyme disease is diagnosed with blood tests that detect antibodies to B. burgdorferi. Two-step testing is traditionally performed. A rapid enzyme immunoassay is performed first. If this is positive, a more time-consuming Western blot test is sent for confirmation. The FDA recently approved two rapid tests for Lyme disease that are performed simultaneously, reducing the turnaround time.
New Symptoms Keep Appearing And Disappearing
One classic characteristic of Lyme Disease is that symptoms come and go. Many Lyme patients find that their symptoms flare up in two- to four-week cycles. You might feel better for a couple weeks and have a week where you just feel lousy, says Reihman. The periodic disappearance of symptoms can make you start to doubt if youre even sick, but the symptoms will come back again without proper treatment, so take them seriously, no matter how fleeting they are.
Recommended Reading: Property For Sale Old Lyme Ct
Don’t Miss: Old Lyme Bed And Breakfast
Regression And Other Symptoms In Children
Children are the largest population of Lyme patients.
The CDC study of reported Lyme cases from 19922006 found that the incidence of new cases was highest among 5- to 14-year-olds . About one quarter of reported Lyme cases in the United States involve children under 14 years old .
Children can have all the signs and symptoms of Lyme that adults have, but they may have trouble telling you exactly what they feel or where it hurts.
You may notice a decline in school performance, or your childs mood swings may become problematic.
Your childs social and speech skills or motor coordination may regress. Or your child may lose their appetite.
Children are more likely than adults to have arthritis as an initial symptom 01267-2/fulltext#sec0040″ rel=”nofollow”> 25).
In a 2012 Nova Scotian study of children with Lyme, 65 percent developed Lyme arthritis . The knee was the most commonly affected joint.
Summary:
The Chance Of Getting Lyme Disease
Not all ticks in England carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
But it’s still important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible, just in case.
Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern and northern England and the Scottish Highlands.
Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures that live in woods, areas with long grass, and sometimes in urban parks and gardens. They’re found all over the UK.
Ticks do not jump or fly. They attach to the skin of animals or humans that brush past them.
Once a tick bites into the skin, it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.
Also Check: Foods To Avoid With Lyme Disease
Youre Hypersensitive To Your Environment
Lyme can put your immune system into overdrive, causing intolerance to unpleasant smells, moldy rooms, and chemicals, says Reihman. This can cause exaggerated side effects or allergic reactions to medications. Some people with Lyme also have unusual food allergies like Alpha-gal syndrome, an allergic reaction to red meat. A lot of people with Lyme struggle with an immune response that is both robust and ineffective, as if it is targeting the wrong things, says Reihman.
Signs And Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Heres our process.
Overview
Lyme disease is an underreported, under-researched, and often debilitating disease transmitted by spirochete bacteria. The spiral-shaped bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, are transmitted by blacklegged deer ticks. Lymes wide range of symptoms mimic those of many other ailments, making it difficult to diagnose .
The blacklegged ticks can also transmit other disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. These are known as coinfections . These ticks that transmit Lyme are increasing their geographical spread. As of 2016, they were found in about half the counties in 43 of 50 states in the United States .
Lyme is the fifth most reported of notifiable diseases in the United States, with an estimated 329,000 new cases found annually . Some studies estimate that there are as many as 1 million cases of Lyme in the United States every year .
Most people with Lyme who are treated right away with three weeks of antibiotics have a good prognosis.
But if youre not treated for weeks, months, or even years after infection, Lyme becomes more difficult to treat. Within days of the bite, the bacteria can move to your central nervous system, muscles and joints, eyes, and heart .
Here is a list of 13 common signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.
You May Like: How To Check For Lyme Disease
Lyme Arthritis: How To Ease And Prevent Joint Pain And Swelling
Painful joints and swollen knees have remained a common manifestation of Lyme disease since it was first diagnosed as a separate condition in the mid-1970s. In fact, a study in Arthritis and Rheumatism recounted the first cases of what would come to be known as Lyme arthritis in 1977.
In this historical study, the authors examined 51 residents from three neighboring communities near the town of Lyme, Connecticut. The individuals affected by the mystery illness included 39 children and 12 adults. The residents experienced pain and swelling in larger joints of the body, with the most typical presentation occurring in the knee.
The incidences of pain and swelling tended to develop in an asymmetric fashion, meaning the symptoms occurred on one side of the body. About 25% of the patients involved in the study also described the appearance of a unique skin lesion resembling a bulls-eye approximately four weeks before the onslaught of arthritic symptoms.
Remarkably, all of the cases surfaced in people who lived in rural, wooded areas with the peak rate of incidence happening in June through September. In contrast, other arthritic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, had never occurred among groups of community members or during specific months of the year before, making the novel mystery illness distinct from those with similar symptomatology.
Other Integrative And Restorative Therapies
Modalities to help improve strength, mobility, and flexibility can help to relieve pain temporarily. Over time, improved function may help reduce the underlying cause of the pain. I am a big fan of hands-on treatment by a trained professional.
The following is a partial list of therapies you might consider.:
- Acupuncture
- Medications
- Neuromuscular electrical stimulation
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
- Ultrasound therapy
- Vagus nerve stimulation
You May Like: Can Lyme Disease Cause Jaw Pain
You’ve Gotten A Positive Blood Test
The fourth and final point to determine if your symptoms are due to Lyme disease is to ask your healthcare provider to run a blood test. Although there are several different laboratory tests to diagnose Lyme disease, these tests each have their pros and cons, and can miss establishing the diagnosis because they are not sensitive enough to always pick up the presence of the bacteria.
A bullseye rash is a classic manifestation of Lyme disease, and does not require a positive blood test, but less than 50% of people may get the rash, and it may be located in a part of the body where the rash cannot easily be seen.
If you suffer from chronic unexplained symptoms, including fatigue and musculoskeletal pain, follow this four-step approach and ask your doctor for a professional opinion.
Leaky Joint Pain Particularly Characteristic
Particularly characteristic is that the pain of the joints, or the inflammation at the individual joints “jump back and forth”. Sometimes the knee is affected, then the hip or ankle.
External signs of joint inflammation by borrelia are a swelling and severe redness as well as an overheating. Usually the knee joint is inflamed, but the ankle or the elbow may be affected.
According to estimates, approximately 50-75% of patients who develop lateborreliose suffer from arthritis. Recent studies suggest that the incidence of actual arthritis in patients with chronic Lyme disease or late borreliosis is less than 25%. Also, toothaches or pain in the temporomandibular joints are not uncommon .
Recommended Reading: Nad Iv Therapy For Lyme Disease
Can’t Get Better 4 Signs Your Aches & Pains Could Be Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is the number one vector-borne epidemic in the world and mimics many common diseases and autoimmune illnesses. If you’ve been told that you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, an autoimmune disease like MS, or are just “getting old, it is possible that you suffer from the number one infectious cause of these symptoms.
The Center for Disease Control released data showing a tenfold increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease, with approximately one million Americans reported having been exposed to it in 2012. So if you go to a doctor complaining of fatigue with joint and muscle pain, and have a negative blood test, it’s possible you may have contracted Lyme disease. How can you know whether you have a tick-borne illness causing your symptoms, though? Here are four signs to watch for: