Preventing Lyme Disease: 5 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten

Cybergal · May 29, 2008

Preventing Lyme Disease: 5 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten

5/29/08

The culprit in the Northeast is the deer tick. In the Pacific coast, the disease is spread by the western-black legged tick.
Lyme disease cases usually peak in the summer and spring, said Rahimian. Its when ticks are around.
Its also when we spend the most time outdoors.
So how do we protect ourselves?

Here are a five easy ways:
1. Avoid areas where there is a high concentration of ticks. These areas include wooded and bushy areas with high grass.

2. Use insect repellent that contains 20 to 30 percent of the chemical DEET. Spray this on your skin as well as your clothing.

3. Cover up. Wear long a long sleeve shirt, long pants and tuck your pants into your socks or boots. Light-colored clothing is also a good idea because it allows you to spot ticks more easily.

4. Always check yourself for ticks after youve spent a lot of time outdoors especially the lower part of your body.

5. Finally, if you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible. Be sure to remove the entire tick including the head. Use fine-tipped tweezers and grab the tick as close to the mouth, which is the part attached to your skin, as possible. If you are unable to remove the tick fully, call your doctor. Infected ticks usually don't spread Lyme disease until they have been attached for at least 36 hours.

Signs and Symptoms:
A round, red rash that spreads at the site of the bite
Flu-like symptoms
Fatigue
Headaches
Sore muscles and joints
Fever

Treatment:
"If you do get bitten or notice that characteristic bulls-eye lesion on your body, you should see your doctor right away, said Rahimian. The reason is because there are medicines that prevent you from getting the long-term consequences of Lyme disease.

If you have early-stage Lyme disease, oral antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil are most often prescribed. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), studies have shown that most patients can be cured within a few weeks of taking these drugs.
But if it goes untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious health problems.

According to the Mayo Clinic, those problems include:

Chronic joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis), particularly of the knee
Neurological symptoms, such as facial palsy and neuropathy
Cognitive defects, such as impaired memory
Heart rhythm irregularities
Memory loss
Difficulty concentrating
Changes in mood or sleep habits

Getting treated early is very important especially in the first 48 hours, said Rahimian.

There's one study that shows if you get bitten and take just one days worth of the medicine it can prevent you from getting Lyme disease in the first place. So again, seeing a doctor early after you get bitten is potentially very helpful, he concluded.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359462,00.html
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bullhaulerswife · May 29, 2008

They are horrible here. I think that we are going to have to spray our trees, I found two of them on Bandit already, and I thought I had him protected. I guess I'm going to have to get Frontline. And I hate the smell of that stuff.

Pedy6Pak · May 29, 2008

I had it back in the early 90's. I believe i had it for almost 2 years before they figured out what was wrong with me. I would not wish those two years on anyone. I never saw the tick that got me. It must have been in my hair.

cinjade28 · May 30, 2008

During the summer time me and the kids take a garlic tablet everyday and I also give it to the dogs and it cures not getting ticks and flies etc won't bite you. Don't smell the best after working out in the yard all day.

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