Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Can You Have Lyme Disease Without A Rash

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Which Areas Are More Likely To Have It

Think the Lyme Disease Rash is Always a Bull’s-eye? Think Again! | Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

The tick that causes Lyme disease has been moving from the Northeast and upper Midwest into the Southern and Western U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Cases in California and Florida are on the rise. After a drop between 2017 and 2018, the numbers jumped a little bit in 2019.

But most Lyme cases in 2019 were in 15 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Washington, DC, is also a hotspot.

In 2019, Pennsylvania had the most Lyme infections, with 6,763. New York was next, with 2,847 cases.

In the Southern U.S., where itâs hotter, ticks stay under leaves so they don’t dry out. This means people donât get Lyme from Southern ticks very often because they don’t usually come out to bite.

Even though people only report about 30,000 cases of Lyme infection in the U.S. each year, there are actually around 476,000 a year. The same tick also can spread other diseases, including babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and Powassan virus. Those diseases are also on the rise in the U.S.

Whoâs likeliest to get Lyme disease?

Boys up to age 15 and men between the ages of 40 and 60 are the most likely to get Lyme disease. Thatâs because they tend to play outside and go camping, hunting, and hiking.

Why are there more ticks now than there used to be?

There are several reasons why Lyme is spreading. Some of these are:

Later Signs Of Lyme Disease

What if Lyme disease isnt detected early on? The longer that disease-causing bacteria linger in the body, the more they disseminate, and as these microbes spread to tissues throughout the body, they can trigger a litany of symptoms. CDC says these may include:

  • Severe headaches and neck stiffness
  • Additional EM rashes. These lesions may pop up on other areas of the body
  • A type of facial paralysis known as Bells palsy
  • Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling. Knees and other large joints are vulnerable
  • Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
  • Nerve pain
  • Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet

You might have persistent or episodic symptoms, says Dr. Green. Pain that seems to move through the body? Thats common too. The hallmark of late Lyme is migratory joint pain: today my right knee hurts and tomorrow Im limping on my left ankle, and, oh, my third finger of my right hand swelled up, and, oh, my neck has swelled up, she says.

In rare cases, Lyme disease bacteria can enter the tissues of the heart. This complication, called Lyme carditis, can lead to lightheadedness, fainting, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or chest pain.

RELATED: This Woman Was Bitten by a Tick in 2007and Shes Still Dealing With Chronic Lyme Disease Symptoms

Essential Steps When Checking For Lyme Disease

Not all people with Lyme disease develop the bulls eye rash. But if you do get it, measure the red patch around the bite to see if its expanding:

  • Measure and record the patchs height and width with a ruler
  • Repeat the next day. Give these numbers to your physician.
  • Take pictures of the rash and share with your doctor.
  • Make a note if you experience fever, energy loss, and unusual joint stiffness. These are all common symptoms of early Lyme disease.
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    Does Bullseye Always Mean Lyme Disease

    But this report reminds us of the important fact that a bullseye doesnt always mean Lyme. Ticks carry other bacteria and some of them are not as dangerous. However, its better to be safe than sorry and get some treatment going. The rash absolutely does mean that you have a tick-borne illness, but it may not always mean Lyme.

    Atypical Lyme Rashes And Less

    Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Or Lyme Disease? Uncovering the ...

    In some cases, the Lyme disease rash doesnt look like a bulls eye at all. It can be blistered , cause a bluish swelling , be uniform in color instead of banded, be oval or triangular in shape, or just look like a large red area . You can see a picture of atypical Lyme disease on a black man here.

    There are also many instances of Lyme rashes which are considered to be bulls-eye shaped, but dont have the white band inside. The message? Dont expect a Lyme rash to look like a perfect bulls eye. If you suspect Lyme, contact your doctor!

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    Stage : Changing Skin

    In stage 3, few signs of Lyme disease appear on the skin. Most problems occur in the heart and nervous system, and these can be serious.

    Where you see signs on your skin: If you were in Europe when bit by a tick, you may see changes to your skin in this late stage. These changes usually appear on a hand or foot. Some people develop this change on both of their hands or feet. It can also occur on a knee, elbow, or elsewhere.

    What the skin looks like: The skin begins to swell, and you may notice some redness. These signs are caused by having a bacterial infection for a long time. The affected skin may also feel sore.

    In time, the skin starts to harden and shrink, causing deep lines to form. If you have hair in the area, it tends to fall out. The sweat glands can die, and the skin often becomes so thin that it tears easily. The medical name for this condition is acrodermatitischronical atrophicans.

    In stage 3, you may also see tumors on your skin. It is believed that the long-term infection and swelling in the lymph nodes can lead to a cancer known as cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.

    Skin starts to harden and shrink, causing deep lines to form

    The medical name for this condition is acrodermatitis chronical atrophicans. Swelling, hardened skin, and deep lines on the foot of someone who has had Lyme disease for years.

    When you see signs of changing skin and symptoms: These tend to occur months or years after you are bitten by a tick.

    • Arthritis

    • Dementia

    • Heart failure

    How To Avoid Tick Bites

    To reduce the chance of being bitten:

    • cover your skin while walking outdoors and tuck your trousers into your socks
    • use insect repellent on your clothes and skin products containing DEET are best
    • stay on clear paths whenever possible
    • wear light-coloured clothing so ticks are easier to see and brush off

    Read Also: What Is Chronic Lyme Disease In Humans

    When Should Someone Seek Medical Care For Lyme Disease

    Seek immediate medical attention if you live in or have visited an area where Lyme disease is common and you experience a flu-like illness or develop a red or target-like rash anytime from late spring to early fall. Prompt treatment at this early stage reduces the risk of further symptoms of Lyme disease.

    • Remove any attached ticks by pulling them off your body. The CDC recommends the following tick-removal process:
    • Grasp the tick with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
    • Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick or mouth-parts may break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
    • After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
    • If the tick is still alive, dispose of it by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.
  • However, removing ticks promptly is more important than how you remove them. If you cannot remove an attached tick, see a doctor, who will remove it.
  • Following tick removal, see a doctor if any flu-like symptoms or rash develop within the next three weeks. If a rash develops, draw a line around it with ink that does not wash off each day to see if it is growing.
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    How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed And Treated

    Understanding the Persistent Symptoms in Lyme Disease | Johns Hopkins Medicine

    Lyme disease is diagnosed when someone experiences some of the common signs, including:

    • Bullseye rash

    • Flu-like symptoms, including chills, fever, or muscle pain

    • Headaches

    • Malaise

    Most of the time, these symptoms occur a few days or weeks after a person was bitten by an infected tick. At Kotsanis Institute, we use the Western blot test to look for the presence of Lyme disease antibodies. However, this can take several weeks to detect.

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    Lyme Disease Rashes And Look

    Circular, expanding rash with target-like appearance.

    Expanding rash with central crust

    Expanding lesion with central crust on chest.

    Expanding erythema migrans

    Photo Credit: Reprinted from Bhate C, Schwartz RA. Lyme disease: Part I. Advances and perspectivesexternal icon. J Am Acad Dermatol 2011 64:619-36, with permission from Elsevier.

    Description:Early, expanding erythema migrans with nodule.

    Multiple rashes, disseminated infection

    Early disseminated Lyme disease multiple lesions with dusky centers.

    Red, oval plaque

    Red, expanding oval-shaped plaque on trunk.

    Expanding rash with central clearing

    Circular, expanding rash with central clearing.

    Bluish hued rash, no central clearing

    Bluish hued without central clearing.

    Expanding lesion, no central clearing

    Expanding lesion without central clearing on back of knee.

    Red-blue lesion with central clearing

    Red-blue lesion with some central clearing on back of knee.

    Insect bite hyper-sensitivity

    Large itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to an insect bite.

    Fixed drug reaction

    Description:A skin condition that occurs up to two weeks after a person takes a medication. The skin condition reappears at the same location every time a person takes that particular medication.

    Ringworm

    Description:Ringworm is a common skin infection that is caused by a fungus. Its called ringworm because it can cause a ring-shaped rash that is usually red and itchy with raised edges.

    Pityriasis rosea rash
    Granuloma annulare rash

    Can You Have Lyme Disease And Not Know It

    Ask the Lyme Doc series explores some of the most commonly asked questions about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Individuals can have Lyme disease and not know it for years, mistakenly attributing their symptoms to other illnesses or being misdiagnosed. This edition explores the question: How long can you have Lyme disease without knowing it?

    There are several published papers that address the question: Can you have Lyme disease and not know it? Logigian and colleagues described chronic neurologic Lyme disease patients who were ill for up to 14 years prior to being diagnosed. Their symptoms included fatigue, poor memory, a sleep disturbance, headaches, lightheadedness, and joint pain.1

    Fallon and colleagues described Lyme disease patients who had been misdiagnosed on average for 2 years with a psychiatric disorder. They were initially presumed to suffer from paranoia, dementia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, major depression, anorexia nervosa, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.2

    Another study by Fallon found that Lyme disease patients with Lyme encephalopathy were ill an average of 2 years before being diagnosed.3

    Cases with persistent Lyme disease symptoms

    How long can you have Lyme disease and know it?

    Klempner described individuals who were ill an average of 4.7 years before they enrolled in a Lyme disease clinical trial, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health .5

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    References:

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    How Long Does Lyme Disease Treatment Last

    Your Lyme disease symptoms can last from 3 to 30 days after being infected. However, if youre treated early with antibiotics, you usually feel better within a few weeks. Lingering symptoms, such as joint or muscle pain, and fatigue, can be experienced for months after treatment for some patients. Some patients experience these symptoms for more than six months after they finish their antibiotics, which is known as chronic Lyme disease.

    Can I Have A Bullseye Rash Without Lyme Disease

    Lyme Disease

    Can i have a bullseye rash without lyme diseaseLyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and rarely, Borrelia mayonii.It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left.

    The bullseye rash can be one of the first signs of Lyme Disease because within one to two weeks of the tick bite the rash will appear. It is important to note that up to 30 days after the bite, the rash can develop. Does Lyme Always Have Bullseye? The bullseye rash is caused by the Lyme bacteria disseminating in.

    The reality is that 30 percent of people with Lyme disease never get that bullseye, and because the rash can move locations and is usually not itchy or painful, some people who have a skin reaction never notice it. So how can you enjoy the outdoors with your family this summer and still avoid Lyme disease?

    Lyme Disease Rash Without Bullseye. Can you get lyme disease without a bullseye rash No. A certain kind of rash, called erythema migrans, is a telltale symptom of Lyme disease, and if you have it call your doctor immediately. But not everyone who has Lyme exhibits a rash, much less the bullseye rash so often associated with Lyme disease.

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    Where Is Lyme Disease Found

    There are currently 330,000 cases of Lyme disease annually in the U.S. Eighty-five percent of these cases have been found in just 14 states, mostly in the Northeast , though cases also appear in California, Oregon, and Washington state. My sonsleeping outdoors in southeastern Pennsylvaniawas a prime candidate for a Lyme-carrying deer tick bite.

    The tick carrying Lyme disease has increased its range in North America due to reforestation the explosion of the whitetail deer population, explains Dr. Patrick Gaffney of the College of Earth, Ocean and Environmentat the University of Delaware.

    Who’s At Risk And Where Are Ticks Found

    The risk of getting Lyme disease is higher:

    • for people who spend time in woodland or moorland areas
    • from March to October because more people take part in outdoor activities

    Ticks are found throughout the UK and in other parts of Europe and North America. There are a high number of ticks in the Scottish Highlands.

    It’s thought only a small proportion of ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Being bitten doesn’t mean you’ll definitely be infected. However, it’s important to be aware of the risk and speak to a GP if you start to feel unwell.

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    When Should You See A Doctor If You Think You Have Lyme

    The rash is a pretty good indication that you may have been bitten. Take a photo of the rash and see your doctor. At this stage, treatment with antibiotics will probably work.

    If you don’t have the rash but have symptoms like fatigue, fever, and headache but no respiratory symptoms like a cough, you may want to talk to your doctor.

    Who Is At Risk For Lyme Disease

    Lyme Disease Without the Tick â Is This Possible? Explained by Dr.Berg

    Anyone can get a tick bite. But people who spend lots of time outdoors in wooded, grassy areas are at a higher risk. This includes campers, hikers, and people who work in gardens and parks.

    Most tick bites happen in the summer months when ticks are most active and people spend more time outdoors. But you can get bitten in the warmer months of early fall, or even late winter if temperatures are unusually high. And if there is a mild winter, ticks may come out earlier than usual.

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    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:

    Lyme Disease Symptoms To Watch For According To Doctors

    Knowing the symptoms to look for can help diagnose Lyme disease early on, when it’s easily treatable.

    Fever or fatigue, with or without a rash, can be a symptom of many thingsand Lyme disease is just one possibility. To diagnose Lyme, doctors say they have to consider symptoms and circumstances. If youve been hanging out in wooded or grassy areas, especially in certain regions of the country during the spring, summer, or even autumn months, it might make sense to entertain the possibility that you were bitten by a tick. And whats the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in America? Its Lyme disease, by far.

    But Timothy P. Flanagan, MD, associate professor of medicine in the infectious diseases division at Brown Universitys Alpert Medical School, says it would be a mistake to latch on to a Lyme diagnosis without ruling out other possible causes, including other infections transmitted by ticks. You could have a different tick-borne infection entirely, such as anaplasmosis or babesiosis, or you could have Lyme with one or more co-infections. Thats because the same ticks that transmit Borrelia can carry other disease-causing microbes, too.

    Its super important that we think of all the tick-borne diseasesnot just Lyme, Dr. Flanagan tells Health. Babesia, a parasite that causes babesiosis, is treated differently than Borrelia, for example.

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