Lyme disease (chronic)
Evidence: Unconfirmed
Names
Erythema Migrans with Polyarthritis
Chronic Lyme disease
Lyme Arthritis
Lyme Borreliosis
Description
Lyme disease (named for the town of Lyme, Connecticut where it was first identified) is a bacterial disease transmitted through the bite of an infected black-legged tick, commonly known as a deer tick. Infection is possible after 24 to 48 hours. If the tick is not removed by then, it can transmit one of four main species of bacteria that cause Lyme disease: Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia mayonii, Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii bacteria. The infection can be detected by a red “bulls-eye” rash or by Bell’s Palsy, a condition in which facial muscles are paralyzed.
If the disease is detected and treated (with antibiotics) recovery is usually complete and symptoms like Bell’s disappear completely. In these cases, there is no autoimmune disease.
However, in some people, the Lyme disease triggers symptoms similar to rheumatoid arthritis. This is called “chronic Lyme disease” and is suspected of being an autoimmune disease. More research is needed.
Patient Groups
Prevalence
US Cases: About 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC each year but only 5% to 28% of these cases continue with symptoms after 1 year. Prevalence is currently being studied by the LymeProspect study.
Typical Age of onset
Can occur at any age
Symptoms
Rash. From 3 to 30 days after an infected tick bite, an expanding red area might appear that sometimes clears in the center, forming a bull’s-eye pattern. The rash (erythema migrans) expands slowly over days and can spread to 12 inches (30 centimeters) across. It is typically not itchy or painful.
Erythema migrans
Flu-like symptoms: Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.
Later signs and symptoms
If untreated, new signs and symptoms of Lyme infection might appear in the following weeks to months. These include:
Erythema migrans appearing in other areas of your body.
Joint pain. Bouts of severe joint pain and swelling are especially likely to affect your knees, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.
Neurological problems. Weeks, months or even years after infection, you might develop inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs, and impaired muscle movement.
Signs and symptoms caused by the bacterium Borrelia mayonii may also include:
Nausea and vomiting
Diffuse rashes (rather than a single bull's-eye rash commonly associated with Lyme disease)
Less common signs and symptoms
Several weeks after infection, some people develop:Heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat. Heart problems rarely last more than a few days or weeks.
Eye inflammation
Liver inflammation (hepatitis)
Severe fatigue
