May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

For those of you who don’t know ticks carry many nasty diseases. As spring is now here ticks are out in abundance. The most important thing regarding ticks and the diseases they carry is that prevention is the best defense. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease, Bartonella, Babesia, Erlichiosis, Rocky Spotted Fever and many more infections.

Tick Prevention

Tick Tubes
Tick Repellents
Tick Remover Kits

Where white socks or light colored clothes so you can more easily spot a tick climbing up you.
Keep grass short and weeds mowed. Ticks like tall grass. Put some Tick Tubes in your yard.
Use tick repellents when outside. See Recipes and Repellents Here
Always have a tick remover or tweezers nearby so if you find an embedded tick you can remove it quickly and easily.
Do tick checks when coming in from the outdoors on you, your children and your pets.
Tuck your pant legs into your socks when walking on trails or in tall grass.
Learn how to remove a tick properly. Don’t squeeze, twist or put chemicals on the tick.

How to Remove a Tick

If you find a tick on you please remove it properly. Remember don’t squeeze or twist the tick and don’t put any chemicals on it to smother it. Those tricks can backfire and lead to easy infections if the tick is carrying any infections. You must grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull up slowly but firmly making sure that the whole head is removed. Click Here for Tick Removal Instructions.

Once you’ve been bitten go to your doctor and ask for treatment. Remember that Lyme tests are not accurate and many states have passed legislation asking the doctors to remind patients that a negative test does not mean you do not have Lyme Disease. So if you are showing any symptoms at all, it’s important to get treated right away so the bacteria does not disseminate throughout your body. Once you are in the second or third stages of Lyme Disease it is much harder to treat.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

The symptoms of Lyme Disease vary in children and adults and from person to person. Some people will develop a “Bulls Eye Rash.” Some of the other co infections will cause different rashes too. (See Pictures Here)

Symptoms in Children
Pain, fever, headache, fatigue, ADD, ADHD, isolating oneself, seizures and general illness.
See more about children and Lyme Disease here.

Symptoms in Adults
Rash (sometimes), fever, pain in joints, muscular pain, headache, fatigue, dizziness, memory loss, anxiety, depression, seizures and Bell’s Palsy.
Click Here to see all the stages of Lyme Disease.

Treatment
It is important to get quick treatment with Lyme Disease. Bacteria can disseminate quickly throughout one’d body and lead to second and third stage Lyme in weeks to months. These stages are much harder to treat. So ask your doctor to nip it in the bud now at the beginning stages.

Most doctors will put you on a course of antibiotics. Children will usually get Amoxicillin while Adults will get Doxycyclene. Make sure your physician is aware of the new Lyme Disease guidelines that have been published. Visit New Lyme DIsease Treatment Guidelines Here.