Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is common in the United States and is spread by infected ticks that then bite people or animals. There are two types of ticks that carry Lyme disease in the United States: the deer tick in the Northeast and Midwest and the Western black-legged tick along the Pacific Coast. If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to problems with your skin, joints, nervous system and heart such as meningitis, joint pain, weakness and numbness of the arms and legs, memory problems, and less commonly irregular heartbeat and eye inflammation. These issues can occur months or even years after a Lyme disease infection. The presence of antibodies cannot always determine if the Lyme disease infection is recent or due to a tick bite in the past, but can provide information that your doctor can use to treat the infection.
