What Are The Symptoms Of Late-Stage Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria named Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii. The bacteria are transmitted to your body by the bite of a deer tick. It enters through the skin and spreads all over the body through blood. Lyme disease represents itself with rashes like bull’s eyes and flu-like symptoms in the early stage. In the later stage, it may cause joint, neurological and heart problems. It should be treated in time to avoid later stage symptoms as these symptoms can be serious.

Late-stage Lyme disease develops when the Lyme disease is not treated well or left untreated. It may take weeks, months or even years to develop. It may cause serious complications which are needed to be treated in time.

The symptoms of late-stage Lyme disease are-

Erythema Migrans- the rash develops in other areas of skin and it is a symptom of late-stage Lyme disease.

Inflammatory Arthritis– the bacterial infection may cause arthritis in joints of the body especially knee joint without other apparent cause. This may result in pain, stiffness, and inflammation of the joints. This is a symptom of late-stage Lyme disease

Eyes– the infection gets into the eyes and cause inflammation in eyes.

Meningitis– The infection may migrate to the brain and spinal cord resulting in the inflammation of their membranes. The symptoms of meningitis are the pain in the head, stiffness in the neck and oversensitivity to light.

Neurological Problems– bacterial infection can trigger neurological problems such as numbness, tingling, sensation and shooting pain in the extremities and face. This may also lead to facial paralysis which is also called Bell’s palsy. It is paralysis of one side of the face leading to the dropping of eyelids, jaw, and defective vision and hearing problems. It also causes numbness and memory problems. It also leads to the weakness of the limbs, presenting numbness and tingling in them. It also causes impaired muscle movement throughout the body, a symptom of late-stage Lyme disease. Some patients develop stress, anxiety, and depression due to the prolonged suffering caused by the disease.

Hepatitis– the infection gets way into the liver due to chronic illness and may cause inflammation of the liver and represents symptoms of hepatitis.

Heart Problems– some chronic and untreated cases may affect the heart and heart muscles. It may result in inflammation of the linings of the heart (pericarditis) and myocarditis which is a symptom of late-stage Lyme disease. This inflammatory condition may lead to heart block or heart failure.

Lyme disease is a bacterial disease that spreads through the bite of an infected tick. Ticks are small insects that are found in woodland and grassy areas. They survive on the blood of mammals and birds. Lyme disease is transmitted by a black-legged tick called deer tick infected by causative bacteria. The causative bacteria of Lyme are Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii in the United States and Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii in Asia and Europe.

Ticks are tiny creatures which are not visible through naked eyes. It is not noticeable by many people that they are bitten by ticks. The ticks can spread the bacterial infection to human beings only when they remain stick to the body for 36-48 hours or more. The bacteria invade the skin through the site of bite and travel in the body via blood and cause symptoms of infection.

The symptoms of early-stage Lyme disease are-

• Erythema migrans- a rash resembling bull’s eye at the site of the bite
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscular pain
• Fatigue
• Swelling in the lymph nodes
• Stiffness in the neck

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of an infected tick. The late-stage symptoms of Lyme disease are inflammatory arthritis, meningitis, neurological problems, and heart problems. They may take weeks, months or years to develop and lead to serious complications.

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Also Read:

• Are Your Symptoms of Lyme Disease?
• Lyme Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Staging, Diagnosis, Treatment
• Can Lyme Disease Test False Negative?
• How Common Is Lyme Disease?
• How Is The Body Affected By Lyme Disease?
• Is Lyme Disease Fatal?
• Is Lyme Disease Chronic?