Full Text
Ticks & Lyme Disease It’s spring time, ticks are here, and Lyme disease comes with them! But fear not, you can still get outside and enjoy nature! Just be aware, and take the necessary precautions to prevent tick bites, and infection with Lyme disease. What Is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. Untreated, the disease can cause a number of health problems. Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stage of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. What are of Lyme Disease? Early of Lyme disease may be mild and easily missed, and may include: • Body/joint aches • Fever /chills • Sometimes a rash, often called a “bulls-eye rash” If not treated early, can become more severe, and more may appear, but it may be a long time after the tick bite. If you think you have Lyme disease it is important to see your doctor immediately. How to Prevent Bites from Ticks? If you find yourself in an area that may have ticks, your best protection is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work, or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself in the following ways: • Be aware that deer ticks live in lawns, gardens, and edges of woods and cling to tall grass, brushes and shrubs, usually w/in 2 feet of the ground. They don’t jump or fly! • Consider using an approved insect repellant (DEET is often recommended, but be sure to follow label instructions) • Wear clothing that limits the amount of skin that is left uncovered. Check clothes and exposed skin frequently. • Do a “tick check” every 2-3 hours while outside and again when you come inside. Ticks will attach themselves anywhere including the thighs, groin, trunk, armpits and behind the ears. Remember to check your pets too! If you find a tick, don’t panic! You can safely remove it and lower your chance of disease, especially if it is removed within the first 24 hours. How Do I Safely Remove a Tick? • Using pointed tweezers, grasp the tick by the head or mouth parts where they enter the skin. Don’t grasp it by the body. • Pull slowly and steadily upward without jerking or twisting the tick. • Clean the bite wound with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. • Watch the bite site for a rash for the next 30 days. See your doctor right away if you get a rash or flu like For more detailed information, go to Cortland County website: http://www.cortland-co.org/486/Lyme-Disease-Other-Vector-Borne-Diseases