Everything You Need to Know About Lyme Disease

Everything You Need to Know About Lyme Disease Lyme disease affects around 300,000 people each year. But because it's so hard to diagnose, many patients get misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is carried by blacklegged ticks (deer ticks). If you get bitten by one of these insects and it's attached to you for 24 hours, you can become infected with the disease. Early signs of infection include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. If you don't recognize the signs and stop the infection, symptoms can escalate to more serious ones. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on the symptoms and the chance that you were exposed to ticks that carry it. Once it's determined that you do in fact have Lyme disease, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics. If you're curious about the best way to prevent Lyme disease, the answer is simple: Don't get bitten by ticks.