Visual Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is primarily carried by deer ticks. It occurs when you are bitten by an infected deer tick and the bacteria enters your skin and travels into your bloodstream. Lyme disease is medically described in three phases and can affect different parts of the body with varying signs and symptoms.

• Tick

Early Localized Disease

• The first phase of Lyme disease, which occurs within the first day to a month after you have been bitten by the tick, is referred to as early localized disease with skin inflammation, according to MedicineNet.com. The first sign of infection is a distinct rash on the skin called erythema migrans (EM). It develops around the bite and starts as a small, red bump that later develops into a bright red, outer ring surrounding a clear area with a red center. It is often described as looking like a bull's eye and may be warm to the touch, mildly tender and painless. Within the next few days, the redness spreads out, forming a rash that may be as small as a fingertip or as large as 1 foot in diameter. In dark-skinned people, however, the rash looks more like a bruise. This rash affects about 70 to 80 percent of those infected, and after several days may begin spreading to other areas of the body.

Early Disseminated Disease

• MedicineNet.com refers to the second phase of Lyme disease as early disseminated disease with heart and nervous system involvement, including palsies and meningitis. Visual symptoms in this stage include impaired muscle movement, a stiff neck, and the inability to control facial muscles, or temporary paralysis to one side of the face, also known as Bell's palsy. These may occur within weeks, months or even years after being bitten by an infected tick, if the infection is left untreated.

Late Disease

• The third phase of Lyme disease is referred to as late (or chronic) disease where neurological problems occur as well as arthritis, according to Medicine.net. Visual symptoms at this stage include swollen, painful joints, if the infection is left untreated. Large joints, mainly the knees, are most likely to be affected. The pain may shift from one joint to another, also referred to as migratory joint pain. This may occur after several months of being bitten by an infected tick and affects about 60 percent of patients if left untreated.

Less Common Signs and Symptoms

• Less common visual signs and symptoms may occur several weeks after infection. These include eye inflammation, red eye, hepatitis and severe fatigue. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite may also occur.

Treatment

• If caught early, most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics with complete recovery. Oral antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, cefuroxime axetil are the standard medications used to treat early-stage Lyme disease. Oral antibiotics, which can be taken at home, are usually taken for 14 to 21 days, or longer. Intravenous antibiotics, which are administered in the hospital, are prescribed if the disease has progressed and are taken for 14 to 28 days.