Symptoms

Lyme Disease is a clinical diagnosis.  The results of commonly marketed antibody tests to detect Borrelia burgdorferi (anti Bb), the organism that causes Lyme Disease, may be misinterpreted.According to the FDA Public Health Advisory dated July 7, 1997,  “Physicians are advised to base diagnosis on history (including symptoms and exposure to the tick vector) physical findings and laboratory data other than anti Bb blood results.”

In addition to Lyme, the co-infections of Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are prevalent in Southeastern  Pennsylvania.

The following is a list of symptoms resulting from Lyme and co-infections. An infected person may experience some or many of these symptoms, which is why diagnosis is often difficult.  Check the boxes that apply to you when you see your doctor.

The Tick Bitemay go unnoticed, especially in the spring, when ticks are small or in instances where transmission other than a bite occurs (i.e. placental transmission, blood transfusion, etc.).

q Tick bite
q Rash basically circular, sometimes spreading (rash occurs in less than 50% of Lyme patients, may be on body parts other than bite site)

Musculoskeletal System
q Joint pain or swelling
q Stiffness of joints, back, neck
q Muscle pain or cramps
q Creaking, cracking joints
q Heel pain
q Spinal sensitivity
q Movement of pain or swelling to different joints

Neurologic System
q Headache – persistent/severe
q Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis)
q Burning or stabbing pains
q Tremors or unexplained shaking
q Numbness in body and/or extremities, tingling, pinpricks
q Weakness or partial paralysis
q Pressure in the head
q Lightheadedness, wooziness
q Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
q Increased motion sickness
q Seizures, stroke symptoms
q Restless legs

Mental Capability
q Memory loss (short or long term)
q Confusion, difficulty in thinking
q Forgetting how to perform simple tasks
q Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
q Stammering, stuttering speech
q Going to the wrong place

Psychological well-being
q Mood swings, irritability
q Unusual depression
q Panic-anxiety attacks
q Overemotional reactions, crying easily
q Aggression, rage
q Too much sleep, insomnia
q Difficulty falling or staying asleep
q Obsessive-compulsive behavior
q Suicidal thoughts
q Paranoia
q Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)

Head, Face, Neck
q Stiff or painful neck
q Headache, mild or severe
q Twitching of facial or other muscles
q Jaw pain or stiffness
q Sore throat
q Unexplained hair loss
q Scalp rash

Eyes, Vision
q Floaters
q Double or blurry vision
q Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes
q Light sensitivity
q Flashing lights
q Tearing and/or dry
q Vision loss/Blindness

Ears/Hearing
q Decreased hearing in one or both ears
q Buzzing or ringing in ears (tinnitus)
q Pain in ears
q Sound sensitivity

Digestive and Excretory System
q Diarrhea
q Constipation
q Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping)
q Frequent urination
q Upset stomach, vomiting
q Bloating
q Gastroesophageal reflux

Respiratory/Circulatory System
q Shortness of breath
q Chest pain or rib soreness
q Night sweats or unexplained chills
q Heart palpitations or extra beats
q Heart block, heart attack
q Valve prolapse, murmurs

Reproduction
q Loss of sex drive
q Sexual dysfunction
q Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity
q Unexplained breast pain, discharge
q Testicular or pelvic pain

General Well-being
q Extreme fatigue
q Symptoms change, come and go
q Pain moves to different body parts
q Unexplained weight gain or loss
q Malaise
q Chills
q All types of rashes on the body and /or scalp
q Swollen glands
q Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
q Itching/hives
q Continual infections (sinus, kidney, yeast, bladder, etc.)
q Increased sensitivity to allergens
q Exaggerated  response to alcohol or sweets
q Nodules under the skin
q Early on, experienced a flu-like illness, after which you have not felt well since.