Lyme Disease Symptoms in Adults are somewhat elusive. Getting an accurate diagnoses can often be problematic. If exposed to infected ticks the disease is easy to contract.
The disease presents it self it three primary stages. The first stage is referred to as “early localized.” Each stage of the disease is important to understand as symptoms vary depending what stage of the disease you are in.
Stage one can go undetected. In about half of the cases of infection a rash occurs within the first four weeks of being bitten. Some will experience flu like symptoms. This may occur with or without there being a rash present.
Other symptoms include: lack of energy, headaches, a stiff neck and/or joints, muscle or joint pain, chills and fever. Swollen lymph nodes are also common.
In stage two, the heart and nervous systems can be adversely impacted by the disease. Stage two is most often called the, “Early Disseminated Infection” stage.
This is the stage when various forms of paralysis can present. This usually becomes evident one to four months after being bitten if the disease is not diagnosed and properly attended to.
Since headaches are so prevalent for many people, they never think that their headaches may be caused by an encroaching disease. If the headaches become increasing intense and occur with an escalating frequency, it would be wise to seek counsel from your physician.
From time to time the heart of individuals with Lyme will become inflamed. Moreover, other internal organs can begin to show complications as well. Having an inflamed heart is not something that occurs right away. An inflamed heart is one of the more difficult symptoms of the disease to determine, as inflammation of the muscles around the heart is difficult to detect. If you have pain in your chest centering on the heart, that is one indication that inflammation may be the culprit.
Having difficult breathing, or labored breath can also indicate a Lyme infection. If you observe these conditions you should seriously consider visiting your physician.
Stage three, which can occur months if not years after the initial infection, can lead to damaging the central nervous system, including the brain.
Symptoms at this point in the expression of the disease may include: joint pain (especially in the knees), tingling and numbness in the hands back and feet, extreme bouts with fatigue, problems with memory, sleep disorders, and partial paralysis of nerves in the face.
Even if you don’t suspect that you are suffering from Lyme disease, any of these conditions should lead you to contact your physician.
Many symptoms from Lyme disease are the same for other diseases. It is because of these similarities that Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed.
This misdiagnoses is even more severe when a person is in the late stages of the disease. As a rule, we tend to know our own bodies the best. If things are off, don’t ignore them. A visit to the doctor may be all it takes to help you avoid the heartache of Lyme Disease.
