#TICK BITE BULLSEYE SKIN#

I was misdiagnosed for eight months, even though I had the EM rash and my doctor saw it firsthand. I personally have been battling this disease for two and a half years. If misdiagnosed, Lyme disease can go on for months and years. It is more widespread than many people think, not easy to diagnose, and not easy to treat-especially if it is not treated in the first few weeks. I can say from personal experience that it’s wise to educate yourself, because many doctors, even infectious disease specialists, are not well informed about the dangers of Lyme disease.

This guide is not meant to replace your doctor’s care, but to help you educate yourself. If you suspect Lyme disease, do not hesitate to go to your doctor. Many other symptoms will arise as the disease progresses.ġ / 4 If You Suspect Lyme, Visit Your Doctor Symptoms elsewhere in the body can appear at the same time, including joint and muscle pain, fatigue, headaches, and cognitive difficulty.The rash has an average diameter of 4–6 inches but may range from as small as 1 inch to as large as 2 feet across.The EM rash will not respond to any fungal or hydrocortisone creams.The rash appears for an average of 1–2 weeks, but may be seen at any time between 2–30 days after disease transmission.The rash can occur anywhere on the body, most commonly on the legs, neck, arms, and back. You can be bitten on the neck and have a rash appear on your leg. The rash usually (but not always) radiates from the site of the tick bite.But please note that if other organisms besides the spirochete infect a tick bite (co-infection) they may cause an itchy or painful rash.

#TICK BITE BULLSEYE SKIN#

The rash is level with the skin and is not scaly or crusty. The red patches vary in how light or dark they may be. Occasionally the rash is a solid red blotch with a lighter center. It most often appears as a central spot, surrounded by a ring of clear skin, which is surrounded in turn by an expanding red rash, forming the appearance of a bullseye.An EM rash generally has the following characteristics: The first symptom is usually, but not always, a circular rash called erythema migrans, or EM rash-although some people with Lyme disease never see a rash at all. Untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream, establishes itself in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms, some severe. An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites. Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete bacterium that is carried by deer ticks.

Hannah Garrison (CC BY-SA 2.5) via Wikimedia Commons What Is Lyme Disease? If left untreated, the infection may go away after about a month.

These skin sensations are generally the only symptoms that will appear.ĭoctor-prescribed antifungal medications should be able to stop the proliferation of the fungi within the first few days of treatment, and completely clear up the infection within 2–3 weeks. Lesions may be itchy and tender, although the intensity of these symptoms is usually mild or moderate.Dry lesions are commonly associated with inflammation and scaling of the skin, while moist lesions are commonly associated with small blisters along the edges of the rings and the formation of a crust. The lesions may have either a dry or moist texture.The rings have an 'active' outer border as they slowly grow and advance.The circle is created when the central parts of the lesions begin to heal, while the edges continue to expand, covering up larger areas of skin. At first, the lesions appear like spots or dots, later on taking a circular shape.One or more reddish, inflamed, scaly, or crusty, raised rings, from one to a few centimeters in diameter.The rash generally has the following characteristics when found on most of the body, though it may look different in other places like the foot or the scalp: When fungus affects the skin, it often produces the round spots of classic ringworm.

Tick bite bullseye