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Various symptoms

20-year-old male, healthy otherwise. My grandfather is a land developer, and for the past two weeks I've been helping him by cutting down weeds on various properties to earn some summer cash. Strange things have started to happen in the past few days, however, and I am a bit concerned.

For one thing, I've noticed that when I'm very relaxed, either sitting down or drifting off to sleep, various parts of my body will twitch slightly. This could just be a muscle thumping in my shoulder or something forceful enough to cause me to actually move a bit, like a twitch in my leg. The thing is, I'm not always sore from the work I'm doing, so I can't tell if it's related. But if it's not, that would be a huge coincidence. Thoughts?

I also have some chest pressure off-and-on, as well as a dryness in my throat that leads to a cough from time to time. Possibly related, in the past 24 hours or so, whenever I swallow I get a crackling sensation in my ears. I thought that all these symptoms might be related to the fact that there's dust from the soil being kicked up out there, but I'm not entirely sure. Again, if this is coincidental, it's huge.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm only doing this for one more week, but I need to be sure I'm not causing any lasting health problems.
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Avatar universal
Lyme Disease? I suppose it's possible. I've done some research since you suggested it, though, and it doesn't add up. For one thing, I don't have the characteristic rash or any of the flu-like symptoms. The only symptom that hints at Lyme -muscle twitches- appears to only occur late in the progression of the disease.

It's true, I'm working in a field of weeds where ticks could be prevalent. However, I would first have to be bitten by a tick, that tick would have to be in the minority of those infected, and I would have to not notice it within 36-48 hours. I don't know the exact epidemiology in my location -Riverside County, southern California- but from what I've read it's fairly low.

I guess it could happen and now you've got me thinking about it, but I don't consider it at all likely. More likely my muscle twitches are due to physical fatigue and stress. However, if it progresses or if I still have the muscle twitches within a week or so of my return to my home in northern California -that is, 2 weeks from now- I'll get tested.
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Avatar universal
Get tested for lymes disease you have alot of similar symptoms if you are around weed or woods go to your doctor and ask for western blot test good luck. If you had a rash of any kind check it out.
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Avatar universal
Yeah, but the twitching never occured before I was down here. And it happens even when I'm just sitting still for a few minutes (again, not in any particular location).

Could the ear crackling on swallowing also be related to allergies/dust inhalation?
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Avatar universal
Muscle twitching as you fall asleep is very common and completely normal.  The chest pressure and dry throat do sound like allergies.  Maybe have yourself tested.  Or stop pulling weeds for a week and see if it lets up.
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Avatar universal
I agree allergies any maybe so dehydration this will cause muscle twitching
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Avatar universal
Allergies.
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