Ticks are out: Don’t ignore these symptoms

Every year, we see patients who are diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. One thing many of them have in common is that they don't recall being bitten by a tick. These illnesses are often caused by deer ticks in the nymph stage—the ones that are hardest to see.

I advise my patients to do a daily full-body tick check when they're spending time in tick habitat. But I also tell them that the ticks I worry about most are the ones they don't find.

Fortunately, we can treat most tick-borne illnesses successfully if we catch them early. That's why it's important to see your doctor if you develop symptoms like these, even if you don't remember being bitten by a tick:

• fever, chills
• achy muscles and joints
• flu-like illness without respiratory or stomach symptoms
• unusual rash

Here are some key statistics about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

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