What is lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks. You can get Lyme disease if you're bitten by an infected tick. But most people who've had a tick bite don't get Lyme disease. If you don't treat Lyme disease, it can lead to problems with your skin, joints, heart, and nervous system.

The symptoms of Lyme disease depend on the stage of the disease. You may first notice symptoms weeks to months after the tick bite. If the disease isn't treated, it may progress from mild symptoms to serious, long-term disabilities.

• In the first stage, you may have a rash at the site of the tick bite. You may also have a lack of energy or a headache and stiff neck. Sometimes people have no symptoms at this stage.
• In the second stage, symptoms may include memory problems and pain and weakness in the arms and legs.
• In the third stage, symptoms may include swelling and pain (like arthritis) in the joints, not being able to control facial muscles, and numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, or back. You may have heart problems.

If you don't have symptoms during stage 1, your first symptoms may be those found in stage 2 or 3.

To diagnose early Lyme disease, your doctor will give you a physical exam. You will be asked about your symptoms and any recent exposure to ticks. The clearest sign of infection is an expanding, circular red rash. (This is called erythema migrans.)

Your doctor may do blood tests to confirm that you have Lyme disease. The decision about when to use blood tests depends on if your doctor strongly thinks you have Lyme disease and if the test results will change your treatment. In some cases, your doctor may treat you for Lyme disease without doing any tests.

Lyme disease is often hard to diagnose. Early on, blood tests may not show Lyme disease even though you are infected. At later stages, blood tests may not be able to tell if you have an active infection or a past infection that you recovered from. The symptoms of chronic Lyme disease can be very similar to other illnesses. People may test positive even though something other than Lyme disease is causing their symptoms.

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Most people are treated with antibiotics that are taken by mouth. But sometimes antibiotics through a vein (I.V.) are needed.

It's important to get treatment for Lyme disease as soon as you can. If it goes untreated, Lyme disease can lead to problems with your skin, joints, nervous system, and heart. These can occur weeks, months, or even years after your tick bite. The problems often get better with antibiotics. But in rare cases, they can last the rest of your life.

Even after successful treatment for Lyme disease, you can get it again. So it's important to keep protecting yourself against tick bites.

• Give your child antibiotics as directed. Do not stop using them just because your child feels better. Your child needs to take the full course of antibiotics.
• Ask the doctor if you can give your child an over-the-counter pain medicine if needed, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Read and follow all instructions on the label. No one younger than 20 should take aspirin. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness. Do not give naproxen (Aleve) to a child younger than 12 unless your doctor says it's okay.
• Do not give your child two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.

To prevent Lyme disease in the future

• Avoid ticks:
  • Learn where ticks are found in your community, and keep your child away from those areas if possible.
  • Cover as much of your child's body as possible when they play in grassy or wooded areas. Keep in mind that it is easier to see ticks on light-colored clothes.
  • Use insect repellents, such as products containing DEET. If your child is older than 2 months, you can spray the repellents on your child's skin.
  • Use products that contain 0.5% permethrin on your child's clothing and outdoor gear, such as their tent. You can also buy clothing already treated with permethrin.
  • Take steps to control ticks on your property if you live in an area where Lyme disease occurs. Clear leaves, brush, tall grasses, woodpiles, and stone fences from around your house and the edges of your yard or garden. This may help get rid of ticks.
• After being outdoors, check for ticks on your child's body, including the groin, head, and underarms. The ticks may be about the size of a poppy seed. If you are having a hard time checking for ticks on your child's scalp, comb your child's hair with a fine-tooth comb.
• If you find a tick, remove it quickly. Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to its mouth (the part in your child's skin) as possible. Slowly pull the tick straight out—do not twist or yank—until its mouth releases from your child's skin. If part of the tick stays in the skin, leave it alone. It will likely come out on its own in a few days.
• Ticks can come into your house on clothing, outdoor gear, and pets. These ticks can fall off and attach to you and your child.
  • Check your child's clothing and outdoor gear. Remove any ticks you find. Then put your child's clothing in a clothes dryer on high heat for about 4 minutes to kill any ticks that might remain.
  • Check your pets for ticks after they have been outdoors.