What body systems are most affected by Lyme disease?

What body systems are most affected by Lyme disease?

Lyme disease can affect different body systems, such as the nervous system, joints, skin, and heart. The symptoms of Lyme disease are often described as happening in three stages.

How common is joint pain with Lyme disease?

Although Lyme disease may affect many organs, such as the heart and nervous system, joint involvement tends to be the most common and persistent manifestation, resulting in joint swelling and pain. About 60% of people who are infected with Lyme develop arthritis unless they receive antibiotics.

Can Lyme disease affect multiple joints?

Lyme symptoms Usually only one joint is affected — most often a knee. Smaller joints or tendons or bursae may also be affected. The arthritis pain may be intermittent. Lyme has many other symptoms in addition to arthritis.

Does Lyme disease cause bilateral joint pain?

In comparison, Lyme disease tends to affect one knee joint, resulting in swelling and discomfort. According to 2015 research , Lyme disease rarely causes symmetrical arthritis. However, in rheumatoid arthritis, the condition usually affects a person’s joints equally on both sides of the body.

What does joint pain from Lyme disease feel like?

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.

Does Lyme disease cause severe joint pain?

Symptoms of Late-Stage Lyme Infection These symptoms can include severe joint pain and swelling, known as “Lyme Arthritis”, which can be an overlapping sign of early- to late-stage Lyme infection. Additional later stage signs include neurological issues such as: Shooting pain. Numbness in hands or feet.

What causes Lyme disease flare ups?

Chronic Lyme Disease causes continuing, low-grade symptom flare-ups, and can occur when a patient has been infected for more than a year before seeking treatment or when steroids have been prescribed prior to the Lyme diagnosis.