Lyme disease may be hard to diagnose because its symptoms are like those of many other illnesses. Your health professional will take a careful medical history and do a physical examination to help diagnose early Lyme disease. You may be asked whether you have recently visited an area where you may have been exposed to ticks. The health professional will ask about your symptoms and look for physical signs that may indicate Lyme disease. The clearest physical sign is an expanding, circular red rash (called erythema migrans). See an illustration of a Lyme disease rash.

The early, often vague, flu-like symptoms of Lyme disease can easily be misdiagnosed as another illness (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), especially if you do not have the circular red rash.

Lyme disease tests are blood tests that help confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease. These tests can detect antibodies to the bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) that cause Lyme disease. Although blood tests are fairly reliable, they may not be needed. The decision about when to use blood tests for Lyme disease depends on whether your health professional strongly thinks you have Lyme disease and whether the test results will change the course of your treatment.

Other tests, such as a skin biopsy, may be done to confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease or to rule out other similar conditions.

Early Detection

It is important to get treatment for Lyme disease as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor if you have had a tick attached to your skin, especially if you live in an area where people have reported getting Lyme disease. Also watch for early symptoms of Lyme disease, such as a slowly expanding rash or flu-like symptoms.

If possible, put the tick that was attached to you in a jar or on a damp paper towel in a ziplock plastic bag and take it to the doctor with you. Sometimes tests can be done on the tick to see if it is a carrier of Lyme disease.