• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center

Show Search
Hide Search
  • Disease Information
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Gout
    • Osteoporosis
  • Patient Corner
    • Drug Information Sheets
    • Managing Your Arthritis
    • RheumTV – Patient Education Video Library
  • Our Research
    • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
    • Current Research Studies
    • The Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education Fund
  • About Us
    • Appointment Information
    • Contact Us
    • Our Faculty
    • Our Staff
    • Rheumatology Specialty Centers
  • Donate
Home / Ask the Expert / Lyme disease

Lyme disease

November 8, 2009 By Arthritis Center

Question

I had a swollen knee and a pain and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis 2 month ago. I am 53 years old, not overweight and before that problem exercised regularly and did not have any medical problems. Now I started to feel pain in my heap joints, in two of my fingers and both knee. Three month ago I had a tick bite, I went to emergency but the doctor did not notice something suspicious and blood test was not done. I wonder now is there any change that my family doctor can confuse osteoarthritis with Lyme arthritis. The x-ray of knees was done. On other joint problem, which developed later my doctor does not want to pay attention because it is not in severe pain yet. Thank you

Answer

HI Larisa,

It is usually pretty hard to confuse Lyme arthritis with osteoarthritis.  Generally, Lyme arthritis causes very marked warmth and swelling of a single joint, usually knee or ankle.  Rarely it can affect more than one joint.  Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, is more insidious pain and usually without a great deal of swelling or warmth.  As aspiration of the knee, if swollen, can discern whether the fluid is inflammatory or not and this will help in the diagnosis.  A blood test for Lyme disease is most helpful is well.  IF in doubt, see a rheumatologist to get the diagnosis straightened out.

Arthritis Center

Founded in 1998, the Arthritis Center at Johns Hopkins is dedicated to providing quality education to patients and healthcare providers alike.

Primary Sidebar

Ask The Expert Topics

  • Alternative Therapies
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Associated With Other Illnesses
  • Bursitis and Tendinitis
  • Corticosteroids
  • Diet and Exercise
  • Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
  • Enteropathic Arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • General Arthritis
  • Gout, Pseudogout, Other
  • Infectious Arthritis
  • Myositis
  • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Reactive Arthritis
  • Regional Pain: Back and Neck
  • Rehabilitation
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Surgical Therapy
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  • Systemic Sclerosis
  • Vasculitis
RheumTV Logo

Rheum.TV is an informational platform created to educate patients living with a rheumatic disease. With over 100 disease education videos produced by the team at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology.

Visit Rheum.TV

Footer

Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

  • Johns Hopkins Rheumatology
  • Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
  • Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center
  • Johns Hopkins Myositis Center
  • Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center
  • Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Syndrome Center
  • Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Johns Hopkins Medicine

© 2023 Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center
Patient Privacy