Lyme disease is a type of bacterial disease that is typically transmitted to humans who have been bitten by ticks that are already infected. Although Lyme disease is highly treatable when the correct course of antibiotics is used, prompt diagnosis is highly recommended for patients to access a quick recovery. In order to receive treatment quickly, it’s important to know how you can spot the symptoms and rashes from Lyme disease, and approach a doctor immediately.

One of the first and most common signs of Lyme disease is a circular or “bulls eye” rash. This is one of the reasons why rashes from Lyme disease are often the first indication a person receives that they have been bitten by an infected tick.

Finding Rashes From Lyme Disease

Perhaps the earliest symptom of Lyme disease for most people is a circular rash that is known within the medical sphere as “EM” or erythema migraines. This rash will appear in around 80% of people who have been infected with Lyme disease, and it usually appears any time between within a few days, to a month. The following steps describe some of the characteristics typically associated with Lyme disease:

  • A circular rash that seems to expand outwards over a matter of days. In some people, the rash can grow many inches in diameter, up to a length of a foot.
  • The center of the rash often clears up before the edges, which leads to a bulls eye appearance.
  • Some people exhibit numerous rashes of the same type across their body.
  • Usually, the rash doesn’t hurt, but it can feel hot to the touch.

It’s important to remember that not every patient suffering from this kind of disease will exhibit the same rash. This is why doctors recommend looking out for other symptoms aside from rashes from Lyme disease. For example, worrying symptoms can include aching in the joints and muscles, extreme fatigue that makes it difficult to get out of bed, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and characteristics of the flu.

Treating Lyme Disease Quickly

If this disease is not treated promptly, it can start to spread towards other areas of the body, and result in a number of uncomfortable symptoms. If you have not noticed any other symptoms of Lyme disease, it is still important to watch out for shooting pains, stiffness in the neck, severe headaches, a loss of control in the muscles on one side of your face, drastic changes in heart rate, and dizziness. There are many variations of the bulls eye rash, so it may not be immediately recognizable. If you are concerned about even the slightest mark on your body, which may even resemble a bruise or another kind of rash, get it checked by your doctor as quickly as possible. Lyme disease is easier to treat the sooner it is caught.

Remember, although the rash for Lyme disease is often circular in shape, it doesn’t have to look like a bulls-eye as in some cases it can have abnormal shaping. What’s more, regardless of whether you have the rash or not, you may need to undergo laboratory tests to check for the presence of the disease.