Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness which during summer months increasing a person's risk – especially now the weather is so hot.
The reason why Lyme disease is more likely during these summer months including May, June, July, and August is that people are spending more time outside potentially in wooded area where these ticks are found.
Although Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, some patients later develop conditions with long-term symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain and cognitive issues.
Such conditions have been linked to post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, sometimes called chronic Lyme disease.
Lyme disease sometimes starts with “a circular or oval rash around a tick bite” says the NHS.
However, unlike other insect bites where the rash appears within hours, Lyme disease rashes can sometimes arise weeks or months after the tick bite.
There are a number of lesser-known early warning signs which may be attributed to the disease.
Joint pain
Lyme disease symptoms may include both joint pain and stiffness.
The joints may also be inflamed, warm to the touch, painful and swollen.
The pain has been described as not severe, however, transitory.
Most often the large joints are affected with one or more experiencing the unusual sensation.
Night sweats
A person’s body temperature may fluctuate with Lyme’s disease causing sweating at night.
Alongside the night sweats, facial flushing may also occur.
According to one 2013 study, around 60% of Lyme disease sufferers experienced night sweats.
Vision changes
Experiencing sensitivity to the light with vision changes may be a lesser-known warning symptom of Lyme disease.
A person may also experience a sensitivity to bright indoor lighting.
Studies have found that around 16% of adults with early Lyme disease suffered with light sensitivity.
The same study also found around 13% reported their vision being blurry.
Other early signs potentially warning of Lyme disease include:
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Tiredness and loss of energy
- Pain and swelling in joints
- Nerve problems
- Heart problems
- Trouble with memory and concentration.
A person doesn’t get Lyme disease as soon as a tick attaches to the body.
Rather, in most cases, the tick will need to be attached to the body for up to 48 hours or more before the disease is actually transmitted.
The tick to watch out for is the nymph or the immature tick.
They are less than 2mm and are difficult to spot, they also feed during the spring and summer.
Adult ticks are also dangerous though as they can be much larger in size but are more likely to be seen on the body before any damage is done.
