What are the Symptoms of Lyme disease?
Lyme Disease has been called the great imitator of our century. Many people are initially misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Raynaud’s Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Scleroderma, lupus, early Alzheimers, ALS, many types of arthritis, including but not limited to Rheumatoid, Osteo and Juvenile arthritis; Interstitial Cystitis, GERD, irritable bowel disease, Bell’s Palsy, Colitis, Fifth Disease, psychiatric disorders, seizures, Gulf war syndrome, ADHD, Parkinson’s Disease, and hypochondria.
Lyme Disease has now been shown to affect every organ and organ system in the body, producing a variety of symptoms at different stages of the disease. It is said by some Lyme specialists[1] that Lyme can cause any symptom and any disease like its close cousin Syphilis. It has been shown that certain manifestations of Lyme can also take up to a decade or more to develop.[2]
Lyme Disease is classified in stages:
The rash may be accompanied by generalized fatigue, muscle or joint pain, stiffness, aches, swollen lymph nodes, headache, and occasionally a fever, resembling a flu or virus. These symptoms as well, may disappear altogether and not reoccur for months or years. The disease progresses differently for each person so there is no typical path to follow in diagnoses.
Stage 2, Early Disseminated Disease Lyme Disease,[4] can affect the central nervous system and heart (cardiac system). Early manifestations of lyme disease are sometimes unnoticed or disappear and disseminated (other organ systems involved) infection may occur weeks or months later. Symptoms may include: blurred vision, fainting, general discomfort or uneasiness, headaches, heart palpitations, light headedness, joint inflammation in knees, hips, or other large joints, lethargy, fatigue, muscle pains, stiff or creaking neck.
Stage 3 or Late Stage or Chronic Lyme Disease, [5] can occur weeks to years after the initial tick bite and may affect the skin, brain, nervous system, muscles, bones, and cartilage, including continuation or recurrence of the symptoms observed during Stages 1 and 2.
Lyme Disease symptoms are intermittent and changing, sometimes daily, with the exception of fatigue, which is often persistent and may be debilitating.[6] Symptoms can be so variable that you may have days of near normality that alternate with days of profound debilitation.[7] It is important to note that not everyone infected with Lyme Disease will develop noticeable symptoms. Progression of Lyme Disease in some individuals is very gradual and often attributed to aging, busy lifestyle, etc. Many individuals diagnosed, in hindsight, are able to identify emergence of symptoms that were previously dismissed.
Although there are regional variations of Lyme Disease with general variations in symptoms (e.g. East coast lyme appears to have more severe neurological effects), the basic components of the disease are similar worldwide[8]. It appears that co-infections, which are very common in all lyme sufferers, exacerbate and prevent any remission of the disease. The top 3 complaints from patients are usually pain, fatigue and cognitive problems.
A more thorough list of symptoms that can occur with this disease is as follows:
Cognitive Symptoms
Eyes/Vision
Neurologic System
|
Gastrointestinal System
Psychological Symptoms
Ears/Hearing
Skin/Hair
|
Head/Face/Neck
Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Musculoskeletal System
General/Constitutional
Reproduction Systems
|
[1] Dr. Crist Website
[2] Benach JL; Coleman JL. Overview of spirochetal infections. In Lyme Disease, ed. Coyle PK. St Louis: Mosby-YearBook, Inc. pp. 61-68 1993
[3] Ilads website (What are the symptoms?)
[6] Clinical manifestations of Lyme Disease in the US, Trock, DH, Craft JE; Rahn DW, Connecticut Medicine, 53(6). 1989
[7] Pachner AR. Early dissmeninated Lyme disease. American Journal of Medicine 1995,98 (suppl):4A-30S-43S.
[8] Steere AC. Lyme disease. New England Journal of Medicine 1989;321:586-59
