Lyme disease
Do you plan to spend time outdoors this spring and summer? Maybe you have a specific trail in mind, or set a date for a picnic. If so, be prepared to protect yourself against the creatures of all kinds; even the smallest. In particular infected ticks, can have a lasting effect on our bodies.
Lyme disease is spread by the bite of an infected tick deer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a tick must be attached for at least 36 hours before the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium can be transmitted and infect the host. Most often, humans are infected in the spring and summer by the bite of a nymph, an immature tick less than 2 mm. Nymphs often attach in areas difficult to see, such as the groin, armpits, and scalp.
In about 70% of victims of Lyme disease, tick bites leave a single rash called "bullseye" The eruption, particularly because of its shape. Other initial symptoms include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain and swollen lymph nodes. Lyme disease can be treated with a course of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. Symptoms left untreated, more serious may occur that can last for months or years after the bite.
Did you know?
- According to the CDC, Lyme disease is the vehicle most frequently reported origin diseases in the United States
- most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics
- According to the Infectious Diseases Society of America, about 95 percent of all cases of Lyme disease occur in the Northeast and upper Midwest
Tips for preventing Lyme disease
- Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and walk in the center of trails to hike.
- Use bug repellent containing 20-30% DEET on exposed skin and clothing and pre-processing of clothes, boots and tents with permethrin, or purchase pre-treated clothing ( CDC).
- Bathe as soon as possible after coming indoors.
- conduct a full audit of the body using a full length mirror held in the hand or to show all parts of the body.
- put clothes in a hot dryer for about an hour to kill remaining ticks.
- Educate yourself and others about the proper disposal of ticks.
See the CDC prevention advice.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Infectious Diseases Society of America, LifeWork EAP strategies and Adventist HealthCare. The Health Council of the week is for educational purposes. For medical advice, consult your doctor. Feel free to copy and distribute this health resource.
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