Symptoms of lyme disease

Fever and chills, General ill feeling, Headache, Joint pain, Muscle pain, Stiff neck

Stage 1 is called early localized Lyme disease. The bacteria have not yet spread throughout the body.

Stage 2 is called early disseminated Lyme disease. The bacteria have begun to spread throughout the body.

Stage 3 is called late disseminated Lyme disease. The bacteria have spread to distant sites such as the joints and nerves.

The standard treatment for Lyme disease is an antibiotic taken as a pill. The treatment usually lasts 10 to 14 days.

Treatment

Gloves. If you have them, wear medical gloves or similar gloves to protect your hands.

Tweezers. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick firmly near its mouth and as close to your skin as possible.

Steadily and slowly pull the tick's body away from your skin without jerking or twisting it. If parts of the mouth remain, remove them with clean tweezers.

Disposal. Kill the tick by putting it in alcohol. To avoid exposure to possible bacteria, don't crush the tick.

The dead tick can be flushed down a drain or toilet. Or it can be lightly wrapped in tape and thrown in the trash, or placed in a sealed bag and stored in a freezer.

Storage. A tick can be evaluated later if you think you have a tick-borne disease. Put the tick in a container, label it with the date and place it in the freezer.