Lyme disease symptoms vary widely from person to person. For about three-quarters of people, the first symptom is a circular red rash called erythema migrans that appears at the site of a tick bite between three days and one month after the bite occurs. This rash may grow in size and darken over time or similar rashes may appear at other sites on the body. Other symptoms that commonly develop in the early stages of infection include:

• fever
• headache
• fatigue
• chills
• muscle and joint aches
• swollen lymph nodes

In some cases, the symptoms mentioned above may be the only symptoms that occur. In others, if the infection is not treated it may spread to other parts of the body and cause serious complications. Complications of late stage Lyme disease may include:

• Arthritis, with severe joint pain and swelling, especially in the knees.
• Meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain.
• Bell’s palsy, a temporary paralysis of one side of your face.
• Chronic neurological problems that persist for years, which may include shooting pains, numbness, or weakness in your limbs, memory loss, mood disturbances, and difficulty concentrating.