Category: Tick-Borne Diseases

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Understanding Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment

How Do I Know If I Have Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease can affect many parts of the body, including the joints, heart, and brain. It becomes harder to treat the longer it goes undetected, and symptoms can vary. It’s important to remember that not every tick bite leads to Lyme disease. Only deer ticks and western blacklegged ticks carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes it. The risk of infection increases the longer an infected tick remains attached.

Early Signs & Symptoms of Lyme Disease

The incubation period for Lyme disease—the time between infection and the first symptoms—ranges from 3 to 30 days. Early signs can vary, but there are several classic symptoms to watch for.

The most recognizable is the erythema migrans or “bull’s-eye” rash, which often expands from the tick bite and may appear elsewhere on the body. This rash develops in about 80% of infected people within the first month.

Other early symptoms can resemble the flu, such as headache, body aches, fever, and fatigue. Because Lyme affects everyone differently, some may experience mild symptoms while others develop more severe ones. According to the CDC, common early symptoms include:

  • Joint pain and swelling
  • Increasing headaches
  • Bell’s palsy (muscle weakness in the face)
  • Heart palpitations
  • Sleep disturbances

If you have ongoing symptoms or concerns, it’s best to consult your healthcare provider.

Lyme Disease Testing

Serology testing is usually the first step your healthcare provider will take when diagnosing Lyme disease. This blood test looks for antibodies—proteins your body produces in response to infection. The CDC recommends a two-tier testing process, meaning both tests must be positive to confirm a Lyme diagnosis.

It’s important to note that testing has its limitations. If the test is done too soon—within the first 2–3 weeks of infection—it may return a false negative, since antibodies take time to develop. On the other hand, false positives can occur when antibodies from other infections react with Lyme test markers.

Finally, a positive result doesn’t always mean there’s an active infection. The test detects antibodies, not the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria itself, and these antibodies can remain in your system for years after the initial infection.

You can read more about serology testing for Lyme disease here.

Tick Testing as a Diagnostic Tool

Another way to support a Lyme disease diagnosis is by testing the tick itself. If you’ve been bitten, the tick can be tested for the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. While tick testing isn’t a replacement for blood tests, it serves as an additional public health resource. A positive result can help you and your healthcare provider act quickly if you suspect exposure and need treatment.

Learn more about tick testing here.

Getting Treatment for Lyme

If you suspect you have Lyme disease, contact your healthcare provider right away. Be prepared to share any test results you have, along with details about when / where you were bitten and any symptoms you may have noticed.

Can I Get a Diagnosis Without Testing?

Yes, in some states, it is possible to receive antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease as a preventative measure, without a positive test. In other areas, a confirmed blood test may be required before treatment can begin. Because of the limitations of serological testing, test results should ideally support—but not solely determine—a diagnosis or treatment plan. Many factors besides the testing should be taken into consideration first, including:

  • Location: Some regions have higher rates of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.
  • Comorbidities: Patients with multiple health conditions may face greater risks if infected.
  • Age: The very young and elderly are more likely to experience severe symptoms.
  • Tick type: Only deer ticks and western blacklegged ticks carry the Lyme bacteria. Transmission typically requires the tick to be attached for approximately 18–24 hours.

The CDC’s Recommended Treatment Options

Adults:

  • Doxycycline 100 mg, twice daily
  • Cefuroxime axetil 500 mg, twice daily
  • Amoxicillin 500 mg, three times daily
    Duration: 10–21 days

Children:

  • Doxycycline 4 mg/kg, divided into two daily doses
  • Cefuroxime axetil 30 mg/kg, divided into two daily doses
  • Amoxicillin 50 mg/kg, divided into three daily doses
    Duration: 10–21 days

With prompt antibiotic treatment, most tick-borne diseases can be completely cured – in some cases, even before symptoms appear.

Worried About a Recent Tick Bite?

If you’ve removed a tick and want peace of mind, TickCheck offers fast and reliable tick testing services. Simply send the tick to our lab, and we’ll identify the species and test it for Lyme disease and other common pathogens. Knowing whether a tick was carrying disease can help you and your doctor make informed decisions about next steps.

Learn More About Tick Testing


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Lyme Disease and Wildlife: How Ticks Spread Through Nature

white footed mice spread lyme disease

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, and awareness of it has grown steadily over the past few decades. Most people now recognize Lyme as a serious concern, but fewer realize just how quickly it is spreading. Once primarily found in the Northeast, Lyme cases are now being reported across much of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and is even spreading into parts of the southern and western United States. As the disease spreads, staying informed and prepared becomes more important than ever.

But how exactly does Lyme disease move from wildlife into people? Ticks don’t start out infected. Instead, they acquire the bacteria that causes Lyme disease—Borrelia burgdorferi—by feeding on an infected animal host, such as a mouse. Once acquired by the tick, the bacteria can be transmitted to humans or pets during a later bite, turning a simple tick encounter into a potential health risk.

Which Ticks Spread Lyme Disease?

Blacklegged tick / deer tick size comparison

Not every tick’s bite can spread Lyme disease. In the United States, only the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick) is able to pass on Lyme. Other tick species can still make you sick, but with different illnesses—such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever or ehrlichiosis.

Recent analysis of the results of TickCheck’s tick testing concludes that of 2,000+ specimens, 30% of blacklegged ticks tested carried the Lyme bacteria. It’s important to remember, however, that not every bite by an infected tick will result in transmission of Lyme to the host. These ticks must typically be attached for 18-24 hours before transmission can occur.

Blacklegged ticks can be hard to spot. Unfed ticks are small, flat, and dark in color. As they feed, they swell in size, becoming rounder and more swollen. An engorged tick may also lighten in color.

Wildlife and the Spread of Lyme Disease

Ticks feed on more than 300 different animals- everything from deer and cattle to chipmunks and even birds. Of these animals however, only some are capable of carrying and transmitting Lyme to a feeding tick: mice, chipmunks, birds and shrews.

Juvenile ticks feeding from white-footed mice are especially likely to become infected, making these small mammals key players in Lyme’s spread. Once a tick acquires the bacteria, it can transmit it during future feedings.

Deer, while not sources of Lyme bacteria themselves, play a different role. They are the preferred host for adult blacklegged ticks (hence the nickname ‘deer tick’), and by carrying them into forests, fields, and even backyards, they help expand where ticks can be found.

Protecting Yourself and Your Family

If you live in an area where deer, mice, or other wildlife are common, there’s a good chance ticks are present as well. Prevention is the best protection- here are a few simple steps you can take:

  • Be cautious in tick-prone areas: tall grass, brush, wooded trails, and edges where lawns meet the woods.
  • Check yourself, your kids, and your pets after spending time outdoors.
  • Act quickly if you find a tick. Remember, it usually takes 18–24 hours for Lyme transmission to occur, so removing a tick promptly and properly is the best defense.
  • Use safe removal tools. Carrying a dedicated tick remover ensures you can take ticks off quickly and completely.

By understanding the role wildlife plays in Lyme disease and practicing prevention, you can reduce your risk and stay safer outdoors.

Worried About a Recent Tick Bite?

If you’ve removed a tick and want peace of mind, TickCheck offers fast and reliable tick testing services. Simply send the tick to our lab, and we’ll identify the species and test it for Lyme disease and other common pathogens. Knowing whether a tick was carrying disease can help you and your doctor make informed decisions about next steps.

Learn More About Tick Testing