Scotland

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 usual symptoms of Lyme disease?

Some 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 catching the flu. Facial paralysis is a less common symptom.

Getting Lyme disease can make your life miserable and cause a lot of pain and suffering if it’s not diagnosed and treated right away. The longer it takes you to see a doctor allows this disease to progress rapidly and it may not be possible to lessen it’s effects.

How is Lyme disease spread?

Ticks bite and then feed on animals like mice, other small rodents, and deer. If these animals are harboring the Lyme bacteria, they can pass this bacteria on to the ticks. And if people are bitten by an infected tick they may contract Lyme disease.

How can you reduce the chance of getting Lyme disease?

As some people do not have symptoms right away, prevention is the best policy. When you travel in the spring through summer months to or through areas where deer, mice, other rodents and animals live, the following are some things you should do.

If you plan to camp when you are on vacation or holidays, you can reduce the number of ticks around your campsite by removing a lot of the brush and leaves debris. If you wear light colored clothing you can more easily see these extremely tiny black insects and remove them before they attach to and burrow your skin. Always wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck them into your pants, and also tuck your pant cuffs in your socks. It is great idea to wear rubber boots because ticks are usually found close to the ground. You can also get them in your hair if you brush against leaves on a low hanging tree branch. Wearing a light-colored, wide-brimmed hat may also help. Be sure to check your scalp and skin carefully as ticks can easily be overlooked, particularly in your hair. Apply a DEET containing insect repellent to your clothes and exposed skin, as well as permethrin, an insecticide and insect repellent, to your clothes. That will also help.

How can you safely remove ticks?

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 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.