If left untreated, within a few weeks to months after the rash onset, complications such as meningitis, facial palsy, heart abnormalities, and arthritis may occur. Swelling and pain in the large joints may recur over several months or years in untreated Lyme disease. Not all persons with the disease develop the initial skin rash. The early symptoms usually begin within a month of exposure. The later arthritic, cardiac, and neurologic problems can take weeks to months to appear.
Past infection does provide some immunity, but that protection is relatively short-lived.
It is possible for a person to get infected more than once. The disease is treated with oral or injectable antibiotics. Light colored clothing will make ticks easier to find. Walk in the center of mowed trails to avoid brushing up against vegetation. Prompt removal of ticks, even after they have attached, can drastically reduce the chance of Lyme disease transmission.