Summer is prime-time tick season but that does not mean you have to live in fear. Lyme disease can be prevented or caught early if you know and understand its signs and symptoms. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans and animals by infected deer ticks. These ticks are most active between spring and fall and can be found in grassy or wooded areas. Although Lyme disease has been detected in all states throughout the country, it is most common in the Northeast and northern part of the Midwest.
Among all types of ticks, deer ticks are the smallest and most difficult to see. This is why it is so important to protect yourself. Ticks can attach themselves to any part of your body but are most commonly found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp.
It’s all about PREVENTION!
Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense. This doesn’t mean that you can no longer go hunting, hiking, or enjoy being outside but it does mean that practicing the following steps of prevention can keep you safe:
- Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter (or wear long sleeves and pants tucked into your socks and repellent when in these areas)
- Walk in the center of trails
- Wear light colored clothing because ticks are easier to spot and brush off
- Wear a hat to keep ticks away from your scalp
- Keep your lawn mowed and move wood piles to the edge of your property
- Use repellents that contain 20% or more DEET on exposed skin or clothing. Always follow product instructions and use caution when applying to children. For DEET safety, visit CDC's health effects from DEET or EPA's DEET factsheet.
- Use products that contain permethrin on clothing, boots, socks, and tents. This product will remain protective through several washings and should NOT be applied to skin.
- ALWAYS check your skin for ticks after being outdoors (help your companion, too)
- Check your animals for ticks as dogs and cats can bring infected ticks into the home even if they are treated with Frontline or a similar product
- Call your doctor if you experience symptoms
To remove ticks safely, use clean, fine point tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out. Avoid crushing the tick’s body. Do not be alarmed if the tick’s mouthparts remain in the skin. Once the mouthparts are removed from the rest of the tick, it can no longer transmit the Lyme disease bacteria. Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or other products to remove a tick.
Knowing the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease can be just as beneficial as protecting yourself from ticks. It’s impossible to avoid tick habitat altogether so recognizing symptoms early is great backup protection. Typically symptoms appear within 3-30 days of a bite by an infected tick. Early signs include a red, expanding rash called erythema migrans or “bull’s eye” rash, fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Not all cases of Lyme disease develop a bull’s eye rash, so be sure to watch out for the other symptoms, as well. If Lyme disease goes untreated for weeks the symptoms can worsen and include severe headaches and neck stiffness, pain and swelling in the large joints (most often the knees), and Bell's palsy (loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face). If Lyme is not diagnosed within a few months to a year, it can cause arthritis and other long-term symptoms.
Lyme can be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms, as well as a history of possible exposure to infected deer ticks. Laboratory tests are available to confirm a diagnosis; however, a positive test is not required to diagnose Lyme. While some symptoms of Lyme may be very obvious, a few mimic symptoms of other illnesses, making it difficult to correctly diagnose. Treatment typically consists of oral antibiotics for a period of 2-4 weeks. Remember that the best line of defense is avoiding tick habitat, however, we are in the midst of summer and it’s beneficial to our health for us to be outside and enjoy nature. Take precautions and check you and your family each day for ticks.
For more information, visit CDC's homepage for Lyme disease.
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