Welcome to Lyme Disease Awareness day 11. Yesterday, I went over how some doctors will not test for Lyme because they falsely believe lyme disease does not affect their location. Today, I am talking about another reason why some doctors refuse to test for lyme: because of a lack of a tick bite or bullseye rash.

Many doctors believe that without a tick bite or bullseye rash, there is no need to test for lyme.

But half of the people who have tested positive for Lyme do not recall a tick bite or had a bullseye rash!

➡ Ticks can be so small that you never notice them, some as small as a poppy seed.

➡ Lyme disease is associated with the classic “bullseye rash” 🎯 However, fewer than half of Lyme patients report this symptom.

➡ Transmission of Lyme from tick to human takes place in a matter of minutes.

➡ Lyme is reported in areas without ticks, suggesting other insect bites (mosquitoes!) carry the disease.

💚 I was bitten by a dog tick when I was 12 years old. I was told this type of tick does not carry Lyme, but I did live in an area with deer ticks. I didn’t experience any symptoms until I was 15.

I was sick for 6 years before I was accurately tested for lyme disease.

If I had been tested for lyme when I first got sick, it would have been a lot easier to treat.

So, if you never had a tick bite or rash, do not rule out Lyme!

💚 LYME PATIENTS: Do you recall a tick bite? 💚