Lyme disease is spread through the bite of infected ticks. If you've been bitten by a tick, and notice any of the following symptoms you should seek medical attention.
The early signs and symptoms, these could show up 3 to 30 days after a tick bite: fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
A EM rash occurs in 70% to 80% of infected persons. It will begin at the site of the tick bite, after 3 to 30 days. It usually takes about 7 days, and expands gradually over time - reaching up to 12 inches or more. The rash may be warm to the touch, but is rarely itchy or painful. Sometimes it clears as it grows, and ends up looking like a bullseye.
The later signs and symptoms, these appearing days or as far as up to a month after the bite: Severe headaches, neck stiffness, more EM rashes, arthritis, severe joint pain / swelling, facial palsy, pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones, heart palpitations, or irregular heart beat, dizziness, shortness of breath, inflammation of brain or spinal cord, nerve pain, shooting paints / numbness / tingling in hands or feet, problems with short-term memory.
The CDC also notes a fever, or other symptoms could appear without the EM rash. A small bump, or redness at the site of a tick bite that appears immediately and looks like a mosquito bite is common - and not a sign of Lyme disease.
