What Is Lyme Disease? Tick Bite Prevention and Symptoms Explained

Lyme disease is a serious bacterial infection that can cause long-lasting problems if not diagnosed and treated early. It’s spread through the bite of infected ticks — often without you even knowing you’ve been bitten.

Whether you're hiking in the Lake District or heading abroad, here's everything you need to know about preventing, spotting, and treating Lyme disease.

🦠 What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease (also called Lyme borreliosis) is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. It's spread by Ixodes ticks — tiny blood-sucking insects found in grassy, woodland, or rural areas.

🧬 Did you know? Lyme disease was named after a town in Connecticut, USA, where it was first recognised in the 1970s following an outbreak of juvenile arthritis cases.

Most infections occur in:

• The UK (especially southern England and the Scottish Highlands)

• Central and Eastern Europe

• The USA and Canada

• Some parts of Asia

🌳 Who’s at Risk?

You're most at risk if you spend time outdoors in:

• Forests, woodlands, and heathlands

• Grassy fields or moorlands

• Campsites or hiking trails

Ticks are most active in spring, early summer, and autumn, when people are more likely to be outdoors walking, camping or gardening.

🧭 In England and Wales, around 2,000–3,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year.

🩺 What Are the Symptoms of Lyme Disease?

Symptoms often appear 1–4 weeks after a tick bite but may take up to 3 months to develop.

🟥 Early symptoms

• Erythema migrans – a circular red rash at the site of the bite, often with a clear centre ("bull's-eye" appearance)

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Muscle and joint aches

• Headache

• Neck stiffness

Around 60–80% of people with Lyme disease will develop the rash — but not everyone gets it, and many don't recall being bitten.

❗Late or untreated symptoms

If Lyme disease isn’t treated early, it can cause:

• Facial palsy (drooping of the face)

• Arthritis (especially in the knees)

• Meningitis

• Nerve inflammation

• Heart problems (Lyme carditis)

⏱️ Incubation Period

Symptoms can appear between 3 days and 3 months, but typically develop within 1–4 weeks after the tick bite.

🛡️ How to Prevent Tick Bites

The best way to avoid Lyme disease is by avoiding tick bites in the first place:

• Stick to paths and avoid walking through dense undergrowth or long grass

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers, tucking your trousers into your socks

• Choose light-coloured clothing to spot ticks more easily

• Use insect repellent with DEET, Picaridin, or PMD on exposed skin and clothes

• Check yourself (and pets!) every day for ticks, especially around the groin, scalp, armpits, waistline, and behind the knees

• Remove ticks promptly with a fine-tipped tick removal tool or tweezers

🪳 Size matters! Nymph-stage ticks are only about the size of a poppy seed, while adults are closer to a sesame seed — so you have to look carefully.

🧑‍⚕️ When to See a Doctor

If you've been bitten by a tick or notice a rash or flu-like symptoms after spending time outdoors, speak to a GP. Lyme disease is usually treated with a course of antibiotics, which is most effective when started early.

🧴 Do You Need a Lyme Disease Vaccine?

Currently, there is no Lyme disease vaccine available in the UK, though clinical trials are ongoing in Europe and the US. Prevention is key.

📍 Ready Health Clinic Can Help

If you're heading to the countryside or abroad and want personalised travel health advice, Ready Health in Standish, Wigan can help you stay protected. We offer:

• Travel health consultations

• Insect bite prevention guidance

• Referrals and advice for suspected tick-related illness