Lyme Disease: MedlinePlus

Lyme Disease: MedlinePlus





A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection you get from the bite of an infected tick. The first symptom is usually a rash, which may look like a bull's eye. As the infection spreads, you may have

• A fever
• A headache
• Muscle and joint aches
• A stiff neck
• Fatigue

Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose because you may not have noticed a tick bite. Also, many of its symptoms are like those of the flu and other diseases. In the early stages, your health care provider will look at your symptoms and medical history, to figure out whether you have Lyme disease. Lab tests may help at this stage, but may not always give a clear answer. In the later stages of the disease, a different lab test can confirm whether you have it.

Antibiotics can cure most cases of Lyme disease. The sooner treatment begins, the quicker and more complete the recovery.

After treatment, some patients may still have muscle or joint aches and nervous system symptoms. This is called post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS). Long-term antibiotics have not been shown to help with PLDS. However, there are ways to help with the symptoms of PLDS, and most patients do get better with time.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Lyme disease
• Lyme disease - what to ask your doctor
• Lyme disease antibody
• Tick removal

Related Topics

• Insect Bites and Stings
• Tick Bites
• Infections

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Lyme Disease is theNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine  

• Tick-Borne Diseases: The Big Two

• Start Here

  • Lyme Disease(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Lyme Disease(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
  • Lyme Disease(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish

• Overviews

  • Beware of Ticks … & Lyme Disease(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Lyme Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Lyme Disease Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Tick Talk: Block Tick Bites and Lyme Disease(National Institutes of Health)

• Latest News

  • Summer Insect Safety(05/30/2014, HealthDay)
  • It's Spring - Time to Prevent Lyme Disease(05/04/2014, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Lyme Disease Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
  • Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Diagnosis(American College of Physicians)
  • Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Treatment

  • Lyme Disease Treatment (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
  • Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Treatment(American College of Physicians)
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• Prevention/Screening

  • DEET, Showers, and Tick Checks Can Stop Ticks(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Prevention(American College of Physicians)
  • Protect Yourself against Tick-Borne Disease(Food and Drug Administration)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Travelers' Health: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Other Insects and Arthropods(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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• Specific Conditions

  • Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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• Related Issues

  • Lyme Disease and Animals(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Lyme Disease and the Heart(American Heart Association)
  • Lyme Disease in Construction(Center to Protect Workers' Rights) - PDF
  • Lyme Disease Transmission(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Neurological Complications of Lyme Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
  • Tick Removal: A Step-by-Step Guide (For Parents)(Nemours Foundation)
  • Travelers' Health: Lyme Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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• Pictures & Photographs

  • Lyme Disease(Logical Images)
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• Health Check Tools

  • Lyme Disease: Fact or Fiction?(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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• Tutorials

  • Lyme Disease(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Lyme Disease(National Institutes of Health)
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• Research

  • Lyme Disease(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
  • Taking the Bite Out of Vector-Borne Diseases(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
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• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Clinical practice. Lyme disease.
  • Article: An annular rash.
  • Article: Bug bites: a Maryland menu.
  • Lyme Disease -- see more articles
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• Dictionaries/Glossaries

  • Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Glossary(American College of Physicians)
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• Organizations

  • American Lyme Disease Foundation
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Also available in Spanish
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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• Statistics

  • Lyme Disease Data(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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• Children

  • Lyme Disease(Logical Images)
  • Lyme Disease (For Parents)(Nemours Foundation)
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• Teenagers

  • Lyme Disease(Logical Images)
  • Lyme Disease(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • What's My Lyme Disease Risk?(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Women

  • DEET (N,N-ethyl-m-toluamide) and Pregnancy(Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Patient Handouts

  • Beware of Ticks … & Lyme Disease(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
  • Lyme disease
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Lyme disease antibody
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Tick removal
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top