5 minute read

Let’s Talk Ticks:

What Is Lyme Disease

May 18, 2023

As the weather gets warmer and life moves outdoors, it’s a good time to think about protecting yourself from biting pests. One of those pesky biters to watch out for are ticks. You may know that being bitten by a blacklegged tick (or deer tick) can give you Lyme disease. Often called “the great imitator,”(1) Lyme disease can be serious if left untreated. It’s also sometimes difficult to diagnose and more common than you might think. 

  • Every year in the United States about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(2)
  • Information from other sources suggests there may be as many 476,000 Americans diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year.(3,4)

This article will help you learn more about Lyme disease and how to stay safe this season. If you think you’ve been infected, you’ll also find symptoms to watch out for and how to get tested with the Lyme Disease Test. 

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is an illness that’s caused by borrelia bacteria and passed to humans and animals through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks (deer ticks). It’s the most common infection transmitted through the bite of an arthropod species, (e.g., mosquitos, ticks, sandflies, or blackflies).

Most cases of Lyme disease are caused by nymph-stage (adolescent) ticks. They’re very small—about the size of a poppy seed, so they’re difficult to see and feel. You may also get Lyme disease from an adult tick though it doesn’t happen as often. 

To learn more about research, education, prevention, and patient support, visit the Lyme Disease Association. 

Purchase a Lyme disease test today

Learn more about the Lyme Disease Test. This test uses a blood sample to measure antibodies produced in response to the Lyme disease bacteria. No doctor visit required, it’s easy to buy a test online and simple to schedule an appointment at a nearby Quest Diagnostics location. You’ll get your results online, fast and you’ll have the option to discuss your results with an independent physician at no extra cost.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

To diagnose Lyme disease, your doctor will consider several factors including current or ongoing symptoms, how likely it is that you’ve been exposed to infected blacklegged ticks, lab test results, and the possibility of other illnesses. 

If you’re having symptoms, make sure to see your doctor as soon as possible. Most early cases of Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics. Left untreated, the infection can spread to the nervous system, heart, or joints. 

Common early signs & symptoms

Signs and symptoms typically begin to appear 3 to 30 days after you’ve been bitten and include:

  • A red bullseye rash called erythema migrans (EM). This rash appears in many but not all cases and usually appears as a circular red rash that clears in the middle and slowly expands outwards. It’s not painful or itchy but can feel warm and spread over several days.
  • Headache
  • Fever and chills
  • Fatigue
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Joint or muscle aches

Late-stage signs & symptoms:

  • Nerve pain
  • Severe headaches and stiff neck
  • Loss of muscle tone on one of both sides of the face
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
  • Joint pain and swelling
  • Dizziness or shortness of breath

Lyme disease signs & symptoms at all stages can imitate a variety of illnesses like:

  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Depression 
  • Multiple Sclerosis 
  • Arthritis
  • Alzheimer’s Disease

Lyme Disease Test with Confirmation

Our Lyme Disease Test is a blood antibody test that measures your immune response to the infection. If your initial test is positive, Quest will automatically do a second test, using the sample already collected, to confirm the results. If your initial test is negative and you still suspect Lyme disease, consider repeating the test. 

Early diagnosis of Lyme disease is important, but testing can also pose challenges. Sometimes Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose. Early-stage symptoms like fever, severe fatigue, and achiness can look like other common illnesses, such as the flu. And some people have symptoms associated with seemingly unrelated, non-infectious diseases. Current Lyme disease tests measure the level of antibodies in the blood. False negatives can occur when testing is done too early because antibodies are often not present until a few weeks into the illness. This can happen especially if the tell-tale “bullseye” rash is not present. If your first test is negative, repeat testing is recommended. 

The test is available to purchase online, without a doctor visit. Get your results online as soon as they’re available; you’ll also have the option to discuss your results with an independent physician at no extra cost.

Who’s most at risk for Lyme disease? 

People who spend time outdoors in grassy, wooded areas are at higher risk for getting a tick bite—hikers, campers, and those who work in parks and gardens. Deer ticks can be more prevalent in the eastern half of the US so exposure may be higher in those areas.

As for seasonal risks, ticks are most active in warmer months. If temperatures are unusually high, it is possible to be bitten by a tick in the early fall or late winter.

How can I protect myself from Lyme disease?

It is important to prevent ticks from coming into contact with your skin, so they don’t have a change to bite/attach. Keep in mind that adults are most likely to be bitten on the lower legs. Children are most often bitten around the head, neck, and armpits.

Tick safety tips

  • Stay away from grassy, brushy, or wooded areas. If you’re hiking, take the clear path in the center of the trail.
  • Be cautious around areas with playground equipment, patio furniture, and piles of leaves and trash.
  • Use insect repellent with 20-30% DEET or 20% Picaridin.5
  • Treat clothing and gear with a repellant that has 0.5% permethrin.5
  • Choose light-colored clothing so ticks can be easily seen. 
  • Wear long-sleeve shirts and pants and tuck in your shirt and pant legs.
  • Check yourself, children, and pets for ticks twice a day. Carefully remove any ticks you find.
  • After being outdoors, shower, wash and dry your clothes at high temperatures. 

If you do find a tick on your body, stay calm. Finding a tick doesn’t mean you will get Lyme disease. Follow these Tips for Tick Removal from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Learn more about the New Lyme disease vaccine from the Lyme Disease Association.

 

Tests featured in this article:

No doctor visit is required to buy your own lab test at questhealth.com. PWNHealth and its affiliates review your purchase to ensure its medically appropriate before submitting the test order for processing. PWNHealth also reviews your test results and will contact you directly if they require prompt attention. Included in each purchase is the option to discuss your test results with an independent physician; however, you are also encouraged to speak with your primary healthcare provider. 

References

  1. What’s the Real Source of Your Symptoms? Common Misdiagnoses of Tick-Borne Diseases. IGeneX Inc. Accessed April 20, 2023.https://igenex.com/tick-talk/whats-the-real-source-of-your-symptoms-common-misdiagnoses-of-tick-borne-diseases/#:~:text=Called%20the%20%E2%80%9Cgreat%20imitator%2C%E2%80%9D,and%20Multiple%20Sclerosis%20(MS).
  2. Lyme Disease: Data and Surveillance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed August 29, 2022. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Flyme%2Fstats%2Findex.html
  3. Schwartz AM, Kugeler KJ, Nelson CA, et al. Evaluation of commercial insurance claims as an annual data source for Lyme disease diagnoses. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(2).
  4. Kugeler KJ, Schwartz AM, Delorey M, et al. Estimating the frequency of Lyme disease diagnoses —United States, 2010-2018. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(2).
  5. Shah, Hemal. Tick Bites – What You Need to Know. Livi. Last Reviewed August 30, 2021. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.livi.co.uk/your-health/tick-bites-what-you-need-to-know/


Sources

  1. Lyme Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed January 19, 2022. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html
  2. Signs and Symptoms of Untreated Lyme Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed January 15, 2021. Accessed April 20, 2023. 2023 https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html
  3. Lyme Disease: Diagnosis and Testing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed May 21, 2021. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/diagnosistesting/index.html
  4. Lyme Disease Frequently Asked Questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed June 13, 2022. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/faq/index.html
  5. Lyme Disease Association, Inc. Research, Education, Prevention & Patient Support. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://lymediseaseassociation.org/
  6. Tick Removal. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed May 13, 2022. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html#:~:text=Use%20clean%2C%20fine%2Dtipped%20tweezers,the%20mouth%2Dparts%20with%20tweezers.
  7. Lyme Disease: Data and Surveillance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed August 29, 2022. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveillance/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Flyme%2Fstats%2Findex.html
  8. How Many People Get Lyme Disease? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed January 13, 2021. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html
  9. What’s the Real Source of Your Symptoms? Common Misdiagnoses of Tick-Borne Diseases. IGeneX Inc. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://igenex.com/tick-talk/whats-the-real-source-of-your-symptoms-common-misdiagnoses-of-tick-borne-diseases/#:~:text=Called%20the%20%E2%80%9Cgreat%20imitator%2C%E2%80%9D,and%20Multiple%20Sclerosis%20(MS)
  10. Greenhalgh, Tom. 3 Conditions That May Be Mistaken for Lyme Disease. Rheumatology Advisor. May 28, 2019. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com/home/topics/lyme-disease/3-conditions-that-may-be-mistaken-for-lyme-disease/#:~:text=Early%20symptoms%20of%20Lyme%20disease,was%20documented%20in%20Orthopedic%20Reviews.
  11. Lyme Disease. Medline Plus. Last Reviewed January 27, 2020. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://medlineplus.gov/lymedisease.html#:~:text=Lyme%20disease%20is%20a%20bacterial,can%20help%20you%20recover%20quickly.
  12. Shah, Hemal. Tick Bites – What You Need to Know. Livi. Last Reviewed August 30, 2021. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.livi.co.uk/your-health/tick-bites-what-you-need-to-know/
  13. Diagnosis of Lyme Disease. Johns Hopkins Medicine Lyme Disease Research Center. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://www.hopkinslyme.org/lyme-disease/diagnosis-of-lyme-disease/#:~:text=Lyme%20disease%20can%20be%20difficult,dependable%2C%20particularly%20in%20early%20disease