Does this look like a tick bite ?

Lyme disease came up in conversation yesterday with my mom, and she mentioned how there is a bull's eye-like bite when a tick bites (now I know from a little research that there doesn't have to be this specific rash), but it made me remember a bite I got on my back while camping in the yard of our old house one summer four years ago...

I remember thinking it was pretty cool-looking and asked my friend if he knew what could have caused it, but he didn't know. I just assumed it was from a spider since there were always a lot of those around, and since it didn't hurt and it disappeared after a few days, I forgot about it.

Does this look like it could be a tick bite ? I've never been very well-feeling my whole life, always tired, sensitive to a lot of things, allergies, etc.; so when I look at the symptoms for lyme disease, as with any chronic illness symptoms list, I can check off quite a few. So it never really occurred to me to tell a doctor 'cause this is just what life's like... right? However, beginning last year I got to start going to a doctor and besides an inherited not-too-bad anemia, I found out I was also iron deficient. Taking iron supplements helps me feel a little better, but not much. Could there be something more that's wrong with me ?

I've seen some photographs online of bite marks that look a little like this. And read once or twice of someone not noticing they got a tick bite until someone pointed out the rash to them.

Looks like it was about 1.5" in diameter. And, to me, it looks like it was already starting to fade by the time I noticed it and took pictures. I'd love some feedback so I know whether to go to the doctor about it, please ! And thank you ^___^

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Here's my 2 cents, as someone living with fully blown lyme. A lot of people get lyme and never show a bulls eye rash, they end up incapacitated and unhealthy in a severe form years later.

You've got the crystal clear justified reason to be suspicious, so go get tested. In the initial phase of the disease, your immune system is still capable of generating anti-bodies, so the IgG/IgM test has higher chances of giving you a correct reading. The PCR test can accurately find the bacteria DNA in your blood, in later stages this won't be possible. Over time, the bacteria moves into cells and out of the bloodstream, and releases toxins that shut your immune system down, the biggest problem with lyme and the reason why most people suffering from it have 5 other co-infections/problems.

I would urge you to please spend the time and the money to get tested, in at least 2 - 3 labs, until you are absolutely certain it's a negative. The long term benefits of it are enormous, even if you do have lyme, it's far far far easier to treat right now, and you've got big odds of getting away with 2 pills a day for 2 weeks. This will not be the case later on.

If any doctor disagrees with you, just hang in there, find new ones until you've disproved it. I'm not trying to scare you in any way, but it's the very best possible example of "better safe than sorry".
 

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