lyme disease: causes, symptoms, treatments

once an infected tick has attached to your skin, it needs 24 hours to transmit the bacteria that causes lyme disease, meaning there is still time to intervene.

by dave yasvinski

published apr 13, 2023

last updated may 01, 2023

4 minute read

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4 minute read

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lyme disease: causes, symptoms, treatments

there are more than 100 symptoms of lyme disease. getty

lyme disease, also known as borreliosis, is a bacterial infection caused by a bite from an infected tick. ticks acquire the borrelia burgdorferi bacteria by biting infected animals and then spread it to other hosts, including humans, in the same manner. the vast wilderness of canada contains an abundance of ticks but it is ixodes tick, also known as the blacklegged or deer tick, that is the most common source of the disease, according to the lyme disease foundation. these tiny arachnids have hard shells and brown bodies, but can appear grey and be easily confused with a skin tag as they engorge themselves on human blood. lyme disease is on the rise in canada and people who live or spend time in heavily wooded areas face an increased risk of encountering and contracting it.

what are the symptoms of lyme disease?

lyme disease is difficult to diagnose because the infection presents differently in different patients, and there are over 100 known symptoms of the disease. the infection is generally experienced in three stages that can blur together as it progresses. it is most treatable in stage 1, during the first few days of infection when a small, red bump — similar to a mosquito bite — may appear on the face or neck. as the infection stretches into stages 2 and 3 over the subsequent weeks and months, one of the hallmarks of the disease, a bulls-eye-shaped rash known as erythema migrans, may appear in the area of the bite or elsewhere on the body. as the infection progresses through its stages, symptoms can evolve from flu-like in nature to encompass neurological illnesses or even paralysis. some other symptoms include: fever, headache, chills, nausea, light sensitivity, jaw and joint pain and neck stiffness.

how is lyme disease diagnosed?

because there are so many symptoms associated with lyme disease, health-care professionals consider a few factors when diagnosing an infection, including a patient’s symptoms, how likely it is that they were exposed to blacklegged ticks and the possibility that these symptoms are the product of another condition. according to the public health agency of canada, a doctor may order a blood test that can detect the antibodies the body produces to fight off a borrelia burgdorferi infection. although these tests have a high degree of sensitivity, they can be prone to false negatives in the early stages of infection before the body has produced enough antibodies to be detected.

how is lyme disease treated?

antibiotics are the standard treatment for lyme disease with early treatment producing the best results. although the disease is usually cured by a course of antibiotics, in some cases symptoms persist after the medication runs its course, though doctors aren’t sure why. antibiotics are typically not continued at this point as they can have unwanted side effects and have not been shown to improve lingering symptoms.

preventing lyme disease

once an infected tick has attached to your skin, it needs 24 hours to transmit the bacteria that causes lyme disease, meaning there is still time to intervene. if you find an attached tick, use clean, pointed tweezers to pinch the head and pull it straight out, without twisting or turning. if the mouth area breaks off, try to remove it with tweezers but if you are unable to do so, apply soap or an alcohol-based sanitizer to the area and let the skin heal. ticks can be killed by dousing them with rubbing alcohol. do not squeeze one with your fingers to kill it as there is still risk of infection. you can take a photo of the tick or store it in a zip lock bag for later identification by a health-care provider.

because there is no vaccine that prevents lyme disease, avoiding the source of infection is the best way to stay safe. when visiting heavily forested areas likely to contain ticks, some measures you can take include:

wearing closed-toe shoes and tucking your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks. wearing light-coloured clothing makes it easier to spot ticks before they have a chance to bite.
using bug spray that contains deet or icaridin to clothing and exposed skin
sticking to clear, human-made paths and avoiding heavy underbrush. make sure children and pets do the same
checking clothes and outdoor gear for ticks before going indoors
showering as soon as possible, if you suspect you might have encountered ticks, as this will make them easier to detect.
putting clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes will kill any ticks attached to clothing, as will washing them with hot water

how many people have lyme disease?

provincial health units identified 14,616 cases of human lyme disease in canada between 2009 and 2021 but the actual numbers are likely much higher because of unknown or unreported infections.

support and resources for lyme disease

the canadian lyme disease foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of infection, offers support lines for patients and information on getting a diagnosis and managing illness.