Hiking seasons and therefore tick season is upon us. Unfortunately, this means all of the tick-borne pathogens as well. Even just writing about ticks makes my skin crawl, but it is important to be familiar with the symptoms to diagnose ailments such as Lyme disease as early as possible. Here are the signs and symptoms of untreated Lyme disease.
Earliest Symptoms
The earliest symptom is one of a tick sticking out from the skin. Ticks burrow their heads under the skin, 
but their body remains outside. This means that even if they hide in the hair, their body can be felt and/or seen with careful inspection. It is worth noting this portion because this disease comes from ticks. More importantly, it takes 36-48 hours for an embedded tick to transmit the disease. Therefore, if you are in an area that could expose you to ticks, a daily inspection and removal of any found ticks will avoid the rest of the symptoms to follow.
Early Symptoms
- Erythema migrans – this is the iconic bullseye rash that appears at the site of the tick bite. Despite being a classic symptom it can vary in location, size, and appearance
- Fever & Chills
- Head and body aches
Later symptoms
- Stiff Neck
- Severe headaches
- Facial Palsy
- Lyme Arthritis
- Lyme Carditis – (palpitations and/or arrhythmia)
- Nerve Pain
- Intermittent body aches and pains
- Numbness and tingling in hands and feet
- Inflammation in the brain and spinal cord
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
Treatment
Treatment for Lyme Disease at any stage of infection requires medical treatment from a doctor, but treatment for ticks is our area of expertise. If you are concerned about ticks in and around your yard, reach out to a tick expert at Rove Pest Control. We will walk you through the steps available to keep this worry out of mind.