Lyme disease can be a very serious infectious disease that is caused by the bite of a Lyme-carrying tick (which is sometimes too small to easily detect). While the problem is caused by such a small source, the symptoms that result can be huge, and sometimes can lead to an incorrect diagnosis.
What can complicate a diagnosis for Lyme (especially if there isn’t the tell-tale bull’s eye circular rash) is that it often doesn’t show up during early blood tests, which can lead medical professionals in different directions. Here are 7 of the most common diseases that Lyme disease is often mistaken for due to similar symptoms…
1. Arthritis
Arthritis is a varied condition of the joints (there are apparently more than 100 types) that can affect people at any age. According to the Arthritis Foundation, it affects more than 53 million people in the U.S. alone.
So it’s not really any surprise that the joint stiffness and pain that can come with Lyme disease can be mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, which is actually an autoimmune disease (when your own body attacks the lining of the joints).
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