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Travelers, campers, and vacationers alike can be at risk for getting
Lyme disease, a serious, debilitating condition caused by being
bitten by an infected tick.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
Some of the symptoms of Lyme disease are the classic bull's-eye
red rash, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling sleepy, tingling and
numbness, swollen and painful joints, memory loss, and feeling like
you are getting the flu. Paralysis of the face is a less common
symptom.
Lyme disease can make your life miserable and cause you a lot of
pain and suffering if it's not diagnosed and treated right away.
The longer you wait before seeing a health professional allows this
disease to progress quickly and it may not be possible to lessen
it's effects.
How is Lyme disease spread?
Ticks bite and feed on animals such as mice, other small rodents,
and deer. If any of these animals are carrying the Lyme disease
bacteria, they can pass the bacteria on to the ticks. When people
are bitten by an infected tick they may contract Lyme disease.
How can you reduce the chance of getting Lyme disease?
Some people do not have symptoms that show right away so prevention
is always the best policy. If you are traveling in the spring and
summer months to or through areas where deer, mice, other rodents
and animals live, the following are some things you can do.
If you are camping on vacation or holidays, you can limit the number
of ticks around your campsite by reducing the brush and leaves debris.
Wear light colored clothing so you can more easily see these very
tiny black insects and remove them before they attach to your skin.
Be sure you wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck them into your pants.
Also tuck your pant cuffs into your socks. It is also a good idea
to wear rubber boots as ticks are usually found close to the ground.
However, you can also get them in your hair if you brush against
leaves on a low tree branch. Wearing a light-colored, wide-brimmed
hat may help. Be sure to check your skin and scalp carefully as
ticks can easily be overlooked, especially in your hair. Applying
a DEET containing insect repellent to your clothes and exposed skin,
as well as applying the insecticide permethrin to your clothes will
also help.
How can you remove ticks safely?
Ticks that have burrowed and embedded themselves under your skin
can be removed with small-tipped tweezers. Make sure that you do
not leave any part of the tick under your skin. Once the tick has
been completely removed, disinfect the wound thoroughly with alcohol
or hydrogen peroxide. Keep in mind that you are not totally out
of the woods yet, so to speak, as the symptoms can take several
days, even weeks before they show. Using tweezers is the best and
safest method for removing ticks. Do not try to remove any ticks
using burnt matches, petroleum jelly, or alcohol as this will cause
the ticks to release more of the bacteria into your blood stream.
Please note that at the present time there is no vaccine available
for Lyme disease.
According to the Center For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC)
this bacterial disease is vastly under reported, perhaps by well
over 100,000 cases per year in the U.S. alone. You can go to their
website at cdc.gov for more information on Lyme disease.
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Article Source: EzineArticles.com:
Lyme-Disease - It Can Do More Than Just Tick You Off When You Are
on Vacation
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