3 Early Warning Signs of Lyme Disease You Shouldn’t Ignore

2. Cold- or flu-like symptoms

In the early days of the disease, especially, symptoms can be what Boyce calls “nonspecific.” You may experience a mild fever, fatigue or body aches. “In the absence of a rash, you might think you have a cold or you just didn’t sleep well last night,” he says.

One thing to keep in mind, Aucott says, is that unlike a cold, the flu or even COVID, Lyme disease isn’t accompanied by respiratory symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat or a cough. Another tipoff: Cases of Lyme disease are much more common in the spring and summer, whereas respiratory illnesses tend to surge in the fall and winter and peter out in the warm-weather months.

“If it’s May, June or July, and you live in an area where Lyme disease is really common, then that’s when you should be particularly aware and alert to those symptoms,” Aucott says.

Lyme disease is most common in the upper midwestern, northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, according to the CDC.

3. The feeling that ‘clearly something’s wrong’  

Whether it’s a slight fever that persists, fatigue or clouded thinking, Boyce says he’s seen Lyme disease patients come in and say, “clearly something’s wrong.”

If you feel that something is off — and after a few days it hasn’t passed — “I think that’s worth going to see someone and getting tested, especially if it’s after you’ve been walking or out in the yard or had some potential exposure to a tick,” Boyce says.

Worried it’s Lyme disease? Talk to a doctor

Missing or misdiagnosing Lyme disease in the early stages is common, health experts say. The first symptoms overlap with those of many other conditions. What’s more, current lab tests don’t always show the full picture. 

There are blood tests for Lyme disease, but the antibodies the tests pick up on usually take four to six weeks after a bite to register, the CDC says. So an early test may turn up negative, even if you are infected. Still, Boyce says if you live in an area where Lyme disease is common and you’ve been feeling unwell, “it’s a reasonable question” to ask your doctor for a test.

The CDC recommends a two-step testing process, and both tests can be done using the same blood sample. If your doctor suspects Lyme disease or you get a positive test, you’ll be prescribed antibiotics to treat it.

In areas where Lyme disease is common, the CDC says most family and general practitioners are familiar with diagnosing and treating an infection. In areas where Lyme disease is scarce, infectious disease specialists are often the best doctor to see, the CDC says.

Preventing Lyme disease

With diagnosis being especially difficult, Lyme disease prevention is key, health experts say. Aucott is a “big advocate” of wearing permethrin-treated clothing. (Permethrin is an insecticide; you can treat your own clothing or buy pretreated clothing.) And even when temperatures are warmer, Aucott says “it’s a smart idea” to wear long pants and to shower after you come inside and do a tick check.

A few other things to keep in mind:

• You don’t need to be out for a hike to get a tick bite. Ticks live in grasses and bushes; many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood, the CDC says.
• Don’t forget to check your pets. Ticks love to catch a ride on four-legged family members.
• Use insect repellents registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

And remember that Lyme disease is just one tick-borne illness — the bloodsuckers can carry quite a few, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome, the red meat allergy that is also on the rise. “So I think, broader consideration for the spectrum of diseases that are out there is worth thinking about,” Boyce says.