17 Symptoms to Help You Identify Lyme Disease, and When to Talk to Your Doctor

If you like to spend time outdoors in the summer, you’re probably aware of the importance of checking yourself for ticks afterward. And, if you live in certain parts of the country, Lyme disease is very likely on your radar.

But knowing you could get Lyme disease from a tick bite and actually being aware of which symptoms to look out for are two different things. So, what are the Lyme disease symptoms to look for? Here’s what you need to know.

What are Lyme disease symptoms?

Lyme disease can cause a slew of different symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and you may experience different signs of the illness depending on how long it’s been since you were infected.

These are the most common symptoms that can surface anywhere from three to 30 days after a tick bite, the CDC says:

-Fever
-Chills
-Headache
-Fatigue
-Muscle and joint aches
-Swollen lymph nodes
-Erythema migrans rash (aka bullseye rash)
-You may have the following symptoms days to months after you’ve been infected, the CDC says:
-Severe headaches and neck stiffness
-Rashes on other areas of the body
-Facial palsy
-Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling
-Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
-Heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat (called Lyme carditis)
-Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
-Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
-Nerve pain
-Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet