You can see a thousand people walking around every year, feeling tired, achy, foggy, and confused but never realise it is due to one tiny tick bite. This is the hidden threat of Lyme disease. The symptoms often feel very different: stressed, aged, had a poor night’s sleep or it is just a funk. Weeks and months may have passed before someone realizes what is going on.

This is an article for anyone who has been feeling run down, but isn’t sure how or why. We are going to examine the common symptoms of Lyme disease that most are missing, the cause of the disease and how the resources for Lyme disease support and wellness can actually change your course of action.

What Is Lyme Disease and What Causes It?

Lyme disease is caused by a very small germ that can be transmitted through the bite of an infected black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick. These ticks are very small, like a poppy seed, and easily overlooked on the skin.

The bite is not felt. No pain, no burning and no warning at first! The germ gets into your bloodstream when the tick attaches, feeds and stays for a prolonged amount of time, typically 24-36 hours.

That’s why many people are not diagnosed for such long periods. They don’t know what the tick was like. They weren’t bitten. The symptoms that appeared later were attributed to all things except Lyme.

The Early Signs Most People Brush Off

A common early symptom is a circular rash that radiates outwards, which may resemble a “bulls-eye”. But not all people develop this rash. Some people never develop one at all and this is the first big lack of awareness.

The initial signs and symptoms of Lyme disease are similar to those of the flu:

• Tiredness that does not go away with rest
• Aches and pains in muscles and joints
• Occurrence of headache that abates and then reappears
• A low fever
• Stiff neck
• Night sweats
• Enlarged areas around the lymph nodes

These are common signs that can be overlooked. Most people take a few days off, drink some water and believe that they will get over it. At times, they do seem somewhat better for a while. However, if the correct assistance is not provided, the germ will remain and continue to cause damage.

Lyme Disease Symptoms in Adults

When it comes to the symptoms of Lyme disease in adults, it may be sneaky and take a while to develop. Adults have a tendency to suppress discomfort. They attribute the different aches and pains that bother them to age, the same hazy thinking to being caught up in their work and the same tiredness to stressed hazy thinking to being caught up in their work and the same tiredness to stress.

Adults do not notice the following:

• Joint pain that travels from one joint to another – knees one day and then elbows the next
• Trouble recalling details or being able to think straight
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Tingling, numbness in hands and feet
• Mood swings such as impulsive irritability or depression
• A non-refreshing sleep

But the challenging part is that these signs and symptoms fluctuate. One week you might feel great and the next week you don’t. This cycle complicates the process even more of connecting the dots.

Lyme Disease Symptoms in Women

Women are especially challenged when it comes to getting answers. Women often experience Lyme symptoms as hormonal changes, anxiety or autoimmune diseases. Women tend to experience more symptoms of stress; if they do they likely will waste a lot of time trying to find an answer.

Lyme infected women have complained of:

• Increasing symptoms around their monthly cycle
• Brain fog that’s like hormonal brain fog
• Doctors initially attribute the pain to other conditions such as fibromyalgia
• Severe fatigue attributed to thyroid problems
• Unusual changes in emotions that are not helped by usual treatment

For any woman who may have been suffering from symptoms for months or years and not have a diagnosis, consider the possibility of Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease Symptoms in Children

Children often do not have enough words to describe their symptoms which can make it easy to overlook the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease in children. Children may complain about having sore legs, a heavy head or being too tired for play. It’s usually attributed to growing pains or a bad week at school.

In young children, look for these symptoms:

• Extreme fatigue which does not get better
• When you complain of pain that circulates around your body
• Trouble attending or lapses in school performance
• Sudden changes of mood or outbursts of emotion that are not characteristic of the person’s temperament
• Photophobia or sensitivity to sound.
• Trouble getting sleep when tired

This is more likely among children who spend time outdoors; hiking, playing in yards with tall grass, or camping. One of the best things parents can do to keep their kids safe is to check them thoroughly for ticks after they’ve been outdoors.

Long-Term Lyme Disease Symptoms

If Lyme is left undetected and certainly not treated early enough, it may “take root” and become a chronic long-term presence creating Lyme disease symptoms. These kinds of symptoms remain and impact on daily living.

Long-term signs may be:

• Trying to walk or moving around causes pain in the joints, particularly knees
• Trouble remembering or concentrating
• Nerve pain or burning sensation
• The highly sensitive to temperature condition
• A constant sense of fatigue and inability to keep up at work and in relationships
• Lightheadedness, unsteadiness
• Nausea or a change in appetite

This is where feeling isolated can be a reality. If symptoms persist for several months, others around you might begin to wonder if the problem is actually a problem. This is why Lyme disease support and wellness communities and dedicated health professionals are important.

Lyme Disease vs Chronic Lyme: What Is the Difference?

Both have been used before and you’ve probably had questions about which one applies to you. The quick way to put this is that, lyme disease vs chronic Lyme is typically a matter of when and how the body reacts to the disease.

Lyme disease in its earlier stage is when the germ is newly in the body and symptoms are more acute. Persistent symptoms after treatment possibly known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTSD) is referred to as Chronic Lyme. In the wellness and integrative health community, the term chronic Lyme is used to denote persistent, relapsing symptoms in which a patient’s conventional treatment has not been eradicated.

The conversation about this continues across the health landscape, but it is time this group recognised that these symptoms are very real, the suffering is very real and that, yes, they deserve support – real support.

Finding Lyme Wellness Support That Works for You

With suspected Lyme disease symptoms, the path to getting well does not have to be one you take alone. Lyme wellness is emerging to combine integrative health, nutrition, lifestyle support and community.

Connecting with top Lyme disease medical care providers who specialize in this issue can be helpful. Health care practitioners who go the extra mile to ask questions, doing more to see your health on the big picture than just the numbers.

So too are the collaborations that can be made with a powerful Lyme disease health coach. A Lyme wellness trained health coach can assist you in developing good habits in your everyday life to aid your body in healing – from what you eat and how you sleep, how you manage stress and how you move gently. A health coach for Lyme disease doesn’t take the place of your doctor, but it does fill a crucial gap. They’ll be in your corner helping you to stay consistent and understand it all.

In addition, you’ll find community in lyme disease support and wellness groups, in real life and online. Reaching out to the right people who can perhaps relate to your experience in a similar fashion to you can help bring the emotional burden down in ways that words cannot.

Healing from Lyme disease is as much of a mental process as it is a physical one; at HealthfullyU, we know that’s not a step of the healing process that can be overlooked. It’s all about taking care of all those levels of you – body, mind, and spirit. If you’re looking for some guidance, connection, and some helpful ways to practice wellness in your life, then you’ve arrived at just the right place.