Symptoms of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases

Ticks can transmit a variety of diseases to humans when they bite. And unfortunately, many ticks are very small, so it's not always easy to tell if you have a tick on your body or if you've been bitten.

By being aware of the symptoms of common tick-borne illnesses, you are more likely to seek immediate medical attention if you are bitten by a tick. Many tick-borne illnesses have similar symptoms, so seek medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms after a tick bite:

• rash
• fever/chills
• headache
• muscle pain/joint pain
• Malaise

Here are specific symptoms associated with some of the more common tick-borne diseases affecting people in the United States.

lyme disease

Deer ticks, which carry the Borrelia bacteria that causes Lyme disease, are found in most parts of the United States, Canada, and Europe. Spending time in grassy, ​​bushy, or wooded areas increases your risk of contracting diseases. Symptoms include:

• A bullseye-like rash that spreads from the site of the tick bite
• heat
• headache
• Malaise
• stiffness of joints
• muscle aches and pains
• swollen lymph nodes

Early symptoms usually appear within the first 30 days, but not everyone shows obvious symptoms after contracting Lyme disease. If the disease is not identified and treated at this stage, it can cause more severe and widespread disease.

Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis

These two diseases are closely related and are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick. The bites of the ticks that cause these illnesses are usually painless, and most people don't even realize they've been bitten. The most common symptoms are:

• fever/chills
• severe headache
• muscle pain

Less common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, cough, joint pain, rash, and changes in mental status.

Babesiosis

This is a malaria-like parasite that infects red blood cells and causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, body aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, and nausea. Some people have no symptoms.

Babesiosis can cause serious illness in older people, people who don't have a spleen, people with weakened immune systems, or people with other serious health conditions. It can even be fatal.

rocky mountain spotted fever

This is a tick-borne disease transmitted by the American dog tick, Rocky Mountain grass tick, and brown dog tick. The most common symptoms are:

• rash
• fever/chills
• headache
• sore throat
• body pain
• abdominal pain
• decreased appetite
• Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea
• sensitivity to light
• confusion

If untreated, serious complications can occur, including nerve damage, paralysis, gangrene, hearing loss, incontinence, and even death.

Poissant (POW)

This virus is spread by the same type of tick that spreads Lyme disease. Many people who develop Powassan have no symptoms, but if they do, they may have the following symptoms:

• heat
• headache
• vomiting
• Weakness
• confusion
• loss of coordination ability
• language disorder
• seizure

Severe infections can lead to neurological symptoms, paralysis, and even death.

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS)

Alpha-gal syndrome is not a viral or bacterial infection, but rather an allergic reaction to a sugar found in the tissues of all mammals except humans and primates. Isolated star mites can transmit AGS to humans, which can cause the immune system to produce antibodies.

Although there is no cure for AGS, people with AGS can prevent allergic reactions from occurring by avoiding eating meat and other products that contain alpha-gal. Antibody levels may decline over time, so some people may eventually be able to eat meat or products containing alpha-gal without having an allergic reaction.