Lyme disease symptoms can appear quickly or gradually over time, and they are incredibly varied and can wax and wane. The first physical signs of Lyme infection are often flu-like symptoms – sore throat, headaches, congestion, stiffness, etc. – so many people, including doctors, dismiss the symptoms as the flu or the common cold.

During its nymph stage, a tick is only about the size of a period on a sentence. Many people are infected by nymph ticks, but don’t suspect Lyme disease because they don’t recall being bitten. In fact, 50% of people infected don’t remember being bitten and less than 50% of people will get any over-emphasized rash.

Symptoms of Lyme disease (Print Symptoms List)

Head, Face, Neck

  • Unexplained hair loss
  • Headache, mild or severe, seizures
  • Pressure in head, white matter lesions in brain (MRI)
  • Twitching of facial or other muscles
  • Facial paralysis (Bell’s Palsy, Horner’s syndrome)
  • Tingling of nose, (tip of) tongue, cheek or facial flushing
  • Stiff or painful neck
  • Jaw pain or stiffness
  • Dental problems
  • 10. Sore throat, clearing throat a lot, phlegm (flem), hoarseness, runny nose

Eyes/Vision 

  • Double or blurry vision
  • Increased floating spots
  • Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes
  • Oversensitivity to light
  • Flashing lights, peripheral waves or phantom images in corner of eyes

Ears/Hearing

  • Decreased hearing in one or both ears, plugged ears
  • Buzzing in ears
  • Pain in ears, oversensitivity to sounds
  • Ringing in one or both ears

Digestive and Excretory Systems

  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping) or interstitial cystitis
  • Upset stomach (nausea or pain) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)

Musculoskeletal System

  • Bone pain, joint pain or swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Stiffness of joints, back, neck, tennis elbow
  • Muscle pain or cramps, (Fibromyalgia)

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems

  • Shortness of breath, can’t get full/satisfying breath, cough
  • Chest pain or rib soreness
  • Night sweats or unexplained chills
  • Heart palpitations or extra beats
  • Endocarditis, heart blockage

Neurologic System

  • Tremors or unexplained shaking
  • Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
  • Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, weakness, peripheral neuropathy or partial paralysis
  • Pressure in the head
  • Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
  • Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
  • Increased motion sickness
  • Light-headedness, wooziness

Psychological Well-being

  • Mood swings, irritability, bi-polar disorder
  • Unusual depression
  • Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
  • Feeling as if you are losing your mind
  • Over-emotional reactions, crying easily
  • Too much sleep, or insomnia
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep
  • Narcolepsy, sleep apnea
  • Panic attacks, anxiety

Mental Capability

  • Memory loss (short or long term)
  • Confusion, difficulty thinking
  • Difficulty with concentration or reading
  • Going to the wrong place
  • Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
  • Difficulty finding commonly used words
  • Stammering speech
  • Forgetting how to perform simple tasks

Reproduction and Sexuality

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

General Well-being

  • Phantom smells
  • Unexplained weight gain or loss
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Swollen glands or lymph nodes
  • Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
  • Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
  • Symptoms seem to change, come and go
  • Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
  • Early on, experienced a “flu-like” illness, after which you have not since felt well
  • Low body temperature
  • Allergies or chemical sensitivities
  • Increased effect from alcohol and possible worse hangover

 Rash images for Lyme and tick borne disease