Six little-known symptoms of debilitating disease that can leave you bedbound

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks, and while it is treatable, it is much better to catch the disease early as it has nasty side effects

Individuals are being urged to watch for six signs of a debilitating illness that can leave sufferers confined to their beds.

Lyme disease is an infectious condition transmitted to humans by ticks carrying the bacterial infection. These ticks are common in areas such as woodlands, heathlands, as well as urban greenspaces like parks and gardens, latching onto a host's blood.

The health platform, NHS Inform, emphasises, "Ticks don't jump or fly. They climb on to your clothes or skin if you brush against something they're on. They then bite into the skin and start to feed on your blood."

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The guidance from health professionals is unequivocal: "You're more likely to become infected the longer the tick is attached to your skin. This means that removing them quickly is important. Ticks are very small and their bites are not painful, so you may not realise you have one attached to your skin."

Early detection of Lyme disease is crucial despite its treatability. Therefore, knowing the symptoms is key, reports the Mirror.

Symptoms of Lyme disease include:

Rash

Lyme disease comes with a range of symptoms, but a tell-tale sign is the development of an oval-shaped rash around the site of a tick bite. While it may take some time for this rash to manifest sometimes up to three months post-bite they typically emerge between one to four weeks after being bitten by an infected tick.

The health experts at NHS Inform have indicated: "The rash can have a darker or lighter area in the centre and might gradually spread. It's not usually hot or itchy. The rash may be flat, or slightly raised, and look pink, red, or purple when it appears on white skin. It can be harder to see the rash on brown and black skin and it may look like a bruise."

Flu symptoms

Those unlucky enough to contract Lyme disease could exhibit flu-like symptoms, experiencing a high temperature or chills. It's important to note that not every tick carries Lyme disease.

If you spot a tick, it can be safely removed using fine-tipped tweezers or a dedicated tick-removal tool; simply grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up, avoiding squeezing or crushing it. Once removed, clean the bite area thoroughly with soap, water, or an antiseptic solution.

Should there be any suspicion of a tick bite, consulting with a doctor is advised. Aside from the raised temperature, individuals with Lyme disease may suffer from headaches, fatigue, and general malaise.

NHS Inform added: "Most people with Lyme disease get better after antibiotic treatment. This can take months for some people, but the symptoms should improve over time."

Arthritis

Lyme disease has the potential to progress to arthritis when the bacteria responsible for the condition spread to joint tissue, leading to inflammation. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has highlighted: "The main feature of Lyme arthritis is obvious swelling of one or a few joints. While the knees are affected most often, other large joints such as the shoulder, ankle, elbow, jaw, wrist, and hip can also be involved. The joint may feel warm to the touch or cause pain during movement. Joint swelling can come and go or move between joints, and it may be difficult to detect in the shoulder, hip, or jaw. Lyme arthritis typically develops within one to a few months after infection."

Memory loss

In more severe cases, Lyme disease can have serious repercussions, even affecting cognitive functions. Amen Clinics have pointed out: "Memory loss, cognitive impairment, and brain fog. The forgetfulness and cognitive issues some people with Lyme disease experience can be mistaken for the early stages of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. As shown above, there is some scientific evidence pointing to a link between a history of infection with Lyme disease and dementia."

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Nerve pain

In serious cases, Lyme disease can be incredibly debilitating. Some sufferers may experience intense nerve pain.

According to The Foundation For Peripheral Neuropathy, "Early diagnosis and treatment are important to stop the progression of the disease. If untreated, the disease can result in neurological disorders such as peripheral neuropathy, including Bell's palsy, as well as pain, numbness or weakness in the limbs. The onset of peripheral neuropathy typically develops weeks, months or years later, if the disease is left untreated."

Heart problems

When it comes to heart health, Lyme disease can lead to a condition termed Lyme carditis. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highlights in a 2018 report about managing Lyme carditis that this heart condition prompted by Lyme disease can be treated successfully.

"Carditis caused by Lyme disease responds well to antibiotic therapy, but if it is left untreated, it can be potentially harmful," they reveal. Individuals might face abnormal heart rhythms along with other alarming symptoms.

Further detailing heart-related complications, the report added, "Symptoms may include dizziness, chest pain and collapse. Inflammation may also occur at other sites such as the pericardium (lining of the heart) and myocardium (heart muscle). In rare cases, carditis can be severe or even fatal. Antibiotic treatment is effective and usually resolves symptoms within 14 weeks; however, people with severe Lyme disease will require specialist hospital input until the symptoms recover."

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