Lyme Disease Symptoms – What Does a Lyme Disease Rash Look Like?

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, affecting up to 300,000 people a year, according to estimates from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In certain parts of the country (particularly the Northeast or upper Midwest), checking for ticks is practically a summertime rite of passage.

Experts know that Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted from the bite of an infected blacklegged tick (a.k.a. deer tick). But diagnosing the condition isn’t always so straightforward. Once inside your body, the bacteria can wreak havoc in a number of ways. Yes, that can include the classic bullseye-shaped rash. But many of the other symptoms of Lyme disease aren’t as well known, and they can be frustratingly vague.

That’s why it’s important to familiarize yourself with the signs and seek medical attention ASAP if you think you or a loved one may have Lyme. The disease is typically easy to treat as long as you know what to look for.

Early symptoms of Lyme disease

The first signs of Lyme can strike anywhere from 3 to 30 days after getting bitten by an infected tick, the CDC says.

A red rash

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Up to 80% of people will develop a red rash (known as erythema migrans) in the days or weeks after contracting Lyme disease. It usually forms at the site of the tick bite, and the redness is basically an allergic reaction to the tick’s saliva, says Nikhil Bhayani, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Texas Health Hurst-Euless-Bedford.

Lyme disease rashes will often be bullseye-shaped, but they can also just be a red blotch. The rash will usually expand with time and can get as big as 12 inches. It might feel warm to the touch or look a little crusty in the center where you were bitten, but it won’t be itchy or uncomfortable. While common, it’s still worth noting that some people with Lyme may never develop a rash.

Flu-like symptoms

Not everyone experiences a full laundry list of flu-like symptoms. But there’s a good chance you’ll notice at least a few, Dr. Bhayani says. This potentially includes:

• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headache
• Neck stiffness
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever
• Chills

The flu-like symptoms are a result of your immune system’s attempt to fight off the bacterial infection and help you get better, says Kalpana D. Shere-Wolfe, M.D., an infectious disease specialist the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus.

Of course, these kinds of symptoms could indicate many different illnesses. One clue that a tick bite caused them? With Lyme disease, you won’t experience the coughing or congestion that often comes with the actual flu, Dr. Shere-Wolfe says.

Later Lyme disease symptoms

After a month or so, people infected with Lyme disease may start showing additional symptoms. These can include:

Larger or additional rashes

As the Lyme disease infection spreads throughout the body, your rash might start to expand even more. You might also develop new, smaller rashes nearby. Like the early rash, these might be bullseye-shaped. But they can also just look splotchy or blob-like, according to the CDC. They might even take on a slightly bluish tint in the middle.

Exhaustion, fuzzy thinking, and other cognitive problems

Borrelia burgdorferi is one of the few bacteria that can cross the blood-brain barrier and infect the central nervous system, explains Timothy J. Sellati, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer for the Global Lyme Alliance. That can lead to inflammation of the brain, which can affect your central nervous system function in a few different ways.

One of those is extreme fatigue, which affects as many as 76% of people with advanced Lyme disease, according to research. Trouble concentrating, loss of coordination, and short-term memory loss are other possible problems, occurring in up to 24% of people. In extreme cases where the disease is left untreated for extended periods, you might even develop facial weakness and behavioral changes, Sellati says.

Intense headaches

The same inflammation that causes fatigue and fuzzy thinking can also lead to headaches, which findings suggest could strike in up to 70% of people with Lyme disease.

Usually, these feel intense and more similar to a migraine than your run of the mill tension headache, Dr. Bhayani says. In addition to throbbing pain, you might also experience hypersensitivity to noise or light.

Severe pain, numbness, or tingling in your joints and muscles

Around 60% of patients will develop joint pain or even arthritis as their Lyme disease progresses, according to a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study. Usually, it starts in the joints closest to where you were bitten and can spread from there, especially to areas like the knees. The pain isn’t usually constant, though. Experts don’t fully understand why, but “the symptoms can wax and wane over a period of weeks or months,” Sellati says.

Over time, the disease can attack the cartilage in the joints and lead to tissue damage, says Linda Yancey, M.D., an infectious disease specialist with Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital in Katy, TX.

Like many of the other problems caused by Lyme disease, this one is also triggered by inflammation. “The damage to tissues, bone, and cartilage is caused by the production of pro-inflammatory proteins, the same protein responsible for damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis,” Sellati says.

Heart palpitations, dizziness, or shortness of breath

In addition to invading the central nervous system, Borrelia burgdorferi can make its way into heart tissue. That can cause the tissue to become inflamed, leading to heart palpitations, Sellati explains. It might feel like your heart is pounding, fluttering, or beating faster than usual.

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Usually, it becomes more noticeable with vigorous exercise or stress. The problem isn’t all that common, affecting only around 11% of patients. Still, it can be serious. “If [palpitations] occur frequently, seem to get worse, or are accompanied by chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, or dizziness, you should seek immediate medical attention,” Sellati says.

One thing to note: Generally, shortness of breath is most likely to strike when you’re exerting yourself, but with Lyme that isn’t always the case. “A Lyme disease patient can experience shortness of breath during normal activity that in the past might not have resulted in this response,” Sellati explains.

When to see your doctor about Lyme disease symptoms

It’s best to seek medical attention sooner rather than later. The longer Lyme disease goes untreated, the more likely you are to develop severe complications like intense joint pain, heart problems, or cognitive issues.

Lyme disease treatment: Your doctor should refer you to an infectious disease specialist, who can evaluate your symptoms and decide whether you need testing, Dr. Yancey says. If you test positive, you’ll be given antibiotics to fight the infection.

False-negatives: If your test comes back clean, but you’re convinced that Lyme disease is the culprit, ask to be retested. False negatives are common early on since it takes a few weeks for your immune system to build up antibodies to the bacteria.

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Marygrace Taylor

Marygrace Taylor is a health and wellness writer for Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, Redbook, and others. She’s also the co-author of Prevention’s Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet and Prevention’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Visit her at marygracetaylor.com.

Bed Bug Bites vs. Mosquito Bites: Telling Them Apart

Bedbug and mosquito bites can appear similar at first glance. That’s why it’s important to consider the small cues that can help you determine what bit you. Armed with that knowledge, you can focus your treatments on relieving itchy, irritated skin.

Bedbugs are nocturnal insects that bite people usually asleep and in bed. They can resemble other insect bites, such as mosquito bites, or skin irritations, such as eczema.

• Appearance. Bites are usually red, puffy, and pimple-like. In the center of the irritated area is often a red dot where the bedbug bit you. If you’re especially sensitive to bedbug bites, your bites may be fluid-filled.
• Itch factor. Bedbug bites are very itchy and irritating. The itching or pain is usually worse in the morning and gets better as the day progresses.
• Location. Bedbug bites usually appear on areas of exposed skin that comes in contact with the bed. These include the arms, face, and neck. However, they can also burrow under clothing.
• Number. Bedbug bites often follow in a straight line, in groups of three or more.

Bedbug bites can become infected. Signs that a bedbug lesion is infected include:

• tenderness
• redness
• fever
• nearby lymph node swelling

Mosquitoes are small, flying insects with six legs. Only the females of the species bite. Mosquitoes thrive near water. If you’ve been outdoors and near a pond, lake, marsh, or pool, this increases the likelihood your bite is from a mosquito.

• Appearance. Mosquito bites are small, red, and raised bites. They can vary in size based on a person’s natural reaction to the mosquito’s saliva.
• Itch factor. Mosquito bites are itchy, and people can have varying degrees of reactions to them. Some people may be especially sensitive, and can even have blistering reactions.
• Location. Mosquitos can bite through clothing, while bedbugs need an exposed skin to feed.
• Number. A person may have just one or multiple mosquito bites. If they do have multiple, the pattern is usually random and not in a line.

Although rare, it’s possible that a person can experience an anaphylactic reaction to a mosquito bite. This is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that causes hives, throat swelling, and difficulty breathing.

Medical Emergency

If you or someone else may be experiencing anaphylaxis, seek emergency medical attention. Call 911 or go to an emergency room.

A mosquito has to be on the skin for at least six seconds to bite you. The bites may be seemingly instantly itchy and visible. They will usually get better after one or two days.

Bedbug bites don’t always cause skin reactions. If they do, the reactions can be delayed by hours or days. This makes bedbugs harder to treat because a person may not know they’ve been around them until several days later.

See below for some pictures of bedbug and mosquito bites.

Bedbugs and mosquitoes aren’t the only insects that can create similar bites. Here are some other common bug bites and how to tell the difference.

Kissing bugs

Kissing bugs are insects that can be infested with a parasite that causes a condition known as Chagas disease. These bugs commonly bite a person around their mouth or eyes. They’ll usually bite a person several times in the same area. The bites may be small, red, and round.

Kissing bug bites that cause Chagas disease can be serious as the disease can cause heart and intestinal problems.

Spiders

Spider bites can take on different appearances and symptoms based on the spider that bit you. Usually, a spider’s fangs aren’t strong enough to break through human skin. The ones that do — such as a brown recluse or black widow spider — can cause severe symptoms.

Signs a person may have been bitten by a spider include:

• red welt
• swelling
• pain and muscle cramping
• nausea
• problems breathing

Serious spider bites can lead to illness and infection. You should seek immediate medical attention if you think you were bitten by a brown recluse or black widow spider.

Fire ants

Fire ants are insects that can sting and cause painful, itchy bites. These bites usually occur on the legs or feet after stepping in a fire ant mound when ants come out and bite.

Symptoms of fire ant bites include:

• burning sensation almost immediately after the bite
• itching and raised welt-like areas on the skin
• small, fluid-filled blisters that form about a day after the bites occur

Fire ant bites may cause symptoms up to a week. The bites can be extremely itchy.

You should see a doctor if you think you have a bug bite that’s become infected. This includes redness, streaking, fever, or extreme swelling.

If you think you’ve been bitten by a brown recluse or black widow spider, you should also see a doctor. These bites can cause severe infections and serious side effects.

While bedbug and mosquito bites may appear similar, there are ways to tell the difference, such as that bedbugs may bite in a straight line while mosquitoes may bite in irregular patterns.

Allergy to a mosquito bite: how to treat, symptoms, photo

. Why allergy and reaction to a mosquito bite are not the same

From 5% to 20% of the adult population of Russia, depending on the region, are allergic to mosquito bites and redness that resolves within one to two days is the most common reaction to mosquito bites. Over time, the symptoms may even subside if a person regularly encounters these insects. The term “allergy” applies to people with more severe or unusual reactions. In this case, complex immune responses are launched in the body. Outwardly, this is manifested by severe itching, swelling, redness and, in extreme cases, anaphylactic shock. We asked doctors how to understand if there is an allergy to mosquitoes and how to treat it.

Contents

1. Causes
2. Symptoms
3. What to do
4. Diagnosis
5. Questions for doctors

Why does mosquito allergy occur?

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Humans, like animals, are only bitten by female mosquitoes

In the vast majority of cases, normal reactions develop to a mosquito bite, which disappear in a day, says Olga Gromadina, allergist-immunologist, PhD, chief specialist of the Semeynaya clinic network. When the secret from the saliva of an insect enters the human body, local inflammation occurs in the skin and subcutaneous tissue in response to damage. At the site of the bite, papules with a diameter of two to ten millimeters with redness and itching appear – this is a variant of the norm, and such manifestations are not considered allergic.

With kulicidosis (as mosquito allergy is called in medicine), the reaction will be more severe and pronounced. One of its manifestations, according to the doctor, is Skeeter’s syndrome. “This is a massive local reaction with swelling and redness around the bite more than five centimeters in diameter, lasting up to seven days or more, sometimes accompanied by a violation of well-being and fever. Also, blisters may appear at the site of the bite and even tissue necrosis may form, and after the resolution of the inflammatory process, pigmentation may remain, ”says the allergist Gromadina.

The etiology of each type of reaction to a mosquito bite is not fully understood. But scientists are inclined to believe that the main trigger is their saliva, which contains a large amount of biological substances. The spectrum of manifestations also depends on the individual characteristics of the person and the presence of other allergic reactions [1].

Olga Gromadina Allergist-Immunologist, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Chief Specialist of the Semeynaya Clinics Network

“People with a predisposition to allergies have specific immune responses. There is an increased production of antibodies responsible for allergies (immunoglobulins E), and the body begins to actively fight the allergen to which it has an increased sensitivity. As a result of such a struggle, a very strong inflammatory reaction appears. Normally, non-allergic people also have it, as with any skin damage, but it is small and passes quickly.”

Allergy symptoms to mosquito bites

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Mosquito allergy can affect both adults and children

An increased or allergic reaction to mosquito bites is more common in those who have never encountered them, with immune deficiencies (eg HIV) and the presence of other allergies. For example, according to some data, 20% of those suffering from atopic diseases are allergic to mosquitoes. The first symptoms appear almost immediately, after 15220 minutes. Their distinguishing feature is heaviness and swiftness. Here are some of the signs that a mosquito bite allergy has begun [2]:

• severe swelling and intense redness at the bite site;
• papules and blistering;
• extensive infiltration in the affected area, lasting up to two months;
• generalized rash;
• breathlessness, hoarseness;
• general intoxication of the body with headache and fever;
• anaphylactic shock (occurs extremely rarely).

Ksenia Ryabova Leading allergist-immunologist of the Fomina Clinics Network, Researcher at the Laboratory of Immunopathology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov University

“Allergic reactions to components of mosquito saliva range from immediate, delayed major local reactions (blistering and inflammation) to very rare and life-threatening anaphylaxis (presyncope, hypotension and syncope). In case of swelling, especially in the face area, as well as a rash all over the body, fever and chills, you should immediately seek medical help. In other cases, I would recommend a scheduled appointment to assess the severity of manifestations and individual selection of therapy. It is important to remember that the main measure to combat this condition is prevention: the use of repellents and mechanical protection from bites.

What to do if you are allergic to mosquito bites: how to treat and smear

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Symptoms are relieved by relieving itching and slowing down the overall response

Treatment of an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite focuses on the elimination of unpleasant local reactions. To do this, use funds in various forms of release – creams, gels, suspensions. Additionally, you will need to take antihistamines, in more severe cases, the doctor will prescribe special therapy. When developing an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite, on the advice of experts, the following remedies will help:

• cleaning of the bite site;
• cold compresses;
• oral antihistamines based on loratadine or cetirizine;
• topical gels with cooling or topical antiallergic effect;
• zinc-based antipruritic and anti-inflammatory creams and talkers;
• calamine lotions.

Olga Gromadina:

“In the fight against the reaction to insect bites, it is important to minimize scratching, as additional skin trauma contributes to secondary infection, which means more prolonged and pronounced local reactions with a long healing period.

Some topical glucocorticosteroids (hormonal preparations in the form of a cream or emulsion) may be used if a local allergic reaction to an insect sting develops. However, the use of this treatment option should be discussed with the doctor in order to avoid the development of side effects.

Diagnosis of mosquito allergy

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Modern medicine can reveal whether a person is allergic to a mosquito bite or not

If you have had a severe reaction to a mosquito bite, you should see an allergist-immunologist. At the appointment, the doctor will examine the medical history and may prescribe additional studies.

• Complete blood count. Shows the level of special blood cells – eosinophils. Normally, their number should not exceed 5%. If more, then this may indicate an allergic reaction.
• Immunoglobulin test. Identifies class E specific immunoglobulins for mosquito allergens. Low values ​​indicate a low probability of an allergic disease, high values ​​are associated with obvious manifestations of the disease.
• Skin test. During the procedure, the patient is intentionally exposed to mosquito extract in order to assess the degree of reaction of the body. But keep in mind that skin tests sometimes give false results.

More to know about mosquito allergy

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If you are allergic to bites, try to keep mosquitoes at home and use repellents when you go outside

Mosquito bite prevention is the best strategy for people with allergies. When going outside, use body and clothing repellants, protect your home with mosquito nets, and turn on indoor fumigators from time to time. Keep antihistamines and ointments in the first aid kit and on hand to help relieve the first symptoms. Here’s what else you should know about mosquito allergies.

How common is mosquito allergy?

According to some data, from 5 to 20% of the adult population of Russia, depending on the region, are allergic to mosquito bites [3]. Traditionally, the peaks of complaints among patients occur during the season of the greatest activity of insects – spring and summer.

Are children allergic to mosquitoes?

Children are at increased risk of developing allergies to mosquito bites, which can manifest as hives and Skeeter’s syndrome, says Ksenia Ryabova. Often, extensive local or unusual reactions at a younger age are associated with pre-existing atopy. “For example, in one study among children with bite reactions, 32% had comorbidities such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, or dermatitis. In this case, any therapy is selected only by a doctor on an individual basis, ”the expert warns.

What else can a mosquito allergy react to?

Cross-reactivity of mosquitoes with other species does exist, says allergist Ksenia Ryabova. People who have confirmed allergies to wasp venom, bees, dust mites, cockroaches, and seafood may be more sensitive to their bites.

Can mosquito allergies be cured?

There is no cure for mosquito allergy. In severe cases, special immunotherapy may help. This is a form of allergy treatment in which a small amount of the allergen is injected into the patient in several steps. The goal is to help the body get used to the stimulus. Over time, such treatment may improve symptoms [4].

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Rashes that look like insect bites

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1 answer

• Cosmetology
• July 03, 2015 at 03:38 pm

Worried about rashes on the hands that look like insect bites.