Lyme Disease is On The Rise.

       With warm weather on the way Lyme disease can be a real threat. Lyme disease is caused by a bite from a deer tick or a black leg tick.  Although people may think of Lyme as an East Coast disease, it is found throughout the United States, as well as in more than sixty other countries.  It can affect any organ of the body, including the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, and the heart.

Ticks love moist and humid environments, but they can adapt to any number of different areas. In general, ticks tend to live close to their hosts. This includes dog, cats, rodents, birds, deer and unfortunately, humans. Contrary to popular belief, ticks don’t live on their hosts. They are typically found outdoors, in wooded or grassy areas, where they attach to their host and begin to feed. After taking in a blood meal, the tick detaches itself from its host. It then goes on to either find a suitable spot to molt, or another host. It’s not common for most species of ticks to infest a structure, though the brown dog tick does reproduce indoors. Other species, such as the American dog tick and the lone star tick, prefer to lay their eggs on ground soil, so these ticks don’t typically live in your home – they live outdoors.

Knowing where ticks live outdoors and that you, your children and your pets are the biggest risk for transferring them indoors, is half the battle. Armed with this information, it’s up to you to take the proper precautions when going into areas where ticks live. For example, wearing long pants and sleeves, covering exposed skin and avoiding tick habitats whenever possible is a great start. Adding some tick repellent to your clothing and skin is an added level of protection.

If you've been bitten by a tick, call your doctor, who may prescribe antibiotics to prevent Lyme disease. You'll only get antibiotics if the tick that bit you was as a deer tick, was attached to you for at least 36 hours, and you have been in an area where there is a high risk of getting Lyme disease. Also you should….

How Do I Remove a Tick!

It's important to remove a tick as soon as possible. Follow these steps:

Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to the skin

Pull firmly and steadily until the tick lets go of the skin. Do not twist the tick or rock it from side to side. Parts of the tick might stay in the skin, but eventually will come out on their own.

Put the tick in a jar or zip-locked bag in case you want to have the type identified later on.

Wash your hands and the site of the bite with soap and water.

Swab the bite site with alcohol.

Here is the signs of Lyme disease.

Skin Rash

Fever and Chills

Fatigue

Muscle and Joint Pain

Severe Headaches

Facial Palsy

Irregular Heart Beat

Abnormal Sensations in the Limbs

Inflammation at Several Sites

Cognitive Problems

So this can be a bad thing but if you know how to take care of it your should be good. By checking yourself daily you can help reduce the spread of Lyme disease.

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