Early symptoms include a slowly expanding rash at the site of a deer tick bite and flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, headache, neck stiffness, jaw discomfort, pain or stiffness in muscles and joints, slight fever, swollen glands and reddening of the eyes. All of these symptoms are not necessarily present in all cases. Many people can be infected with mild forms of the disease and not even realize it. If diagnosed and treated early, usually with antibiotics, recovery is mostly successful. If untreated, Lyme disease can progress to more serious stages involving the joints, the heart, and the central nervous system.
Symptoms related to the heart include dizziness, weakness and an irregular heartbeat.
Carriers may also experience arthritis-like conditions, while others may develop weakness of the facial muscles resulting in inflammation of the eye or the drooping of an eyelid or corner of the mouth. Vaccinations exist for the disease but they are years away from being approved by the FDA for use on people. The adult deer tick, active this time of the year, is approximately a tenth of an inch long and is a dark reddish brown. The young nymphs, which are active in the summer, are only slightly larger than a sesame seed. They are found in a variety of habitats, typically woodlands and bushy areas.