What You Need to Know About Lyme Disease
Named after the town where it was first discovered—Lyme, Conn.— Lyme disease strikes at least 300,000 Americans each year, and is often undiagnosed because symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Take our quiz to see how well you know your Lyme facts.
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1. Lyme disease is transmitted by:
a) Deer ticks
b) Black-legged ticks
c) Both
2. A rash shaped like a bull’s eye is the telltale sign of Lyme disease.
a) Sometimes
b) Always
c) Never
3. Every tick bite will infect you.
a) True
b) False
4. Lyme disease is:
a) A bacterial infection
b) A viral infection
c) A combination of the two
5. Which of these may be symptoms of Lyme disease?
a) Flu-like symptoms
b) Joint pain
c) Both
6. Symptoms of Lyme disease typically appear within an hour or two after a tick bite.
a) True
b) False
7. If you see a tick attached to your skin, the best way to get rid of it is to:
a) Squish it
b) Pull it off gently with your fingernails
c) Remove it with tweezers
d) Any of the above
8. If left untreated, Lyme disease may lead to:
a) Depression
b) Knee arthritis
c) Tingling or numbness
d) All of the above
Lyme Disease Quiz Answers
1. c) Both types of ticks can transmit Lyme disease. Deer ticks are common in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions, and black-legged ticks in the western United States.
2. a) The bull’s-eye-shaped rash is often considered the hallmark of Lyme disease, but it’s estimated that it occurs in 30-80 percent of cases. There may be a different type of rash or no rash at all.
3. b) Not all ticks carry Lyme disease, but there’s no way of knowing which tick is infected.
4. a) A bacterial infection.
5. c) Symptoms may include fever, chills, sweats, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, and joint pain.
6. b) Ticks can attach themselves to any part of the body, and most often, need to be attached for 36-48 hours, or even longer, before transmitting the Lyme disease bacterium.
7. c) Never squish a tick. Grasp it close to the skin with fine-tipped tweezers and pull upward without twisting to avoid part of it breaking off and remaining in the skin. Clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water, and flush the tick down the toilet.
8. d) Longer-term, untreated Lyme disease can lead to depression, arthritis, and nerve problems that cause tingling or numbness in extremities. It can also lead to fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and neurological disorders.
Lyme Relief Resources
Lyme disease can lead to chronic conditions that defy medical diagnosis and treatment. To learn more and find knowledgeable health professionals, visit LymeDisease.org.