Reports from around the country indicate tick encounters are more prevalent than normal this year.
An early spring combined with ample rainfall has led to more ticks being more active this spring and summer. With so many of us seeking recreation outdoors – a trend that’s followed naturally from coronavirus precautions – there’s a high likelihood that if they don’t protect themselves, many people will be bitten by these disease-carrying creatures.
Ticks are parasitic bugs in the arachnid class, which means they are related to spiders and have eight legs. Deer ticks, many of which carry bacteria that can cause serious illness, including Lyme disease, are so small it’s easy to not notice that one, or many, are on your body.
For perspective, more than a hundred deer ticks can fit on a quarter.
Lyme disease is often difficult to diagnose, because many of its symptoms are common to other diseases, but in the early or late stages of infection, Lyme disease can cause inflammation of the membranes around the brain, facial paralysis and numbness and weakness of the muscles.
The most obvious sign of Lyme disease infection is a bullseye-shaped rash around the site of the tick bite, but only half of those diagnosed with Lyme disease recall a rash, so it’s important to understand the other symptoms associated with early infection:
• Flu-like illness
• Joint pain and swelling
• Headache
• Bell’s palsy or facial nerve paralysis
• Extreme fatigue
Doctors typically need to investigate a patient’s case before diagnosing Lyme disease. Due to overlapping symptoms, the infection can be mistaken for multiples sclerosis, ALS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, or even Alzheimer’s disease.
There are two tests used to diagnose Lyme disease, but they measure antibodies produced as a response to the infection rather than the infection itself, so false positives are common. It’s important that patients share as much information as possible about their symptoms, history and exposure to ticks, because this information can be used to rule out other diseases.
When detected early, Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics. In some cases, symptoms can linger for months, in which case your doctor can help you manage your symptoms. The best defense is prevention, since infection can have a significant impact on your health.
If you get outside in areas where deer ticks can be abundant, follow some of the tips below to keep yourself safe. Keep in mind, you don’t need to be in high grass or thickly wooded area to encounter ticks. They can be prevalent in a regularly mowed lawn, especially in years like this.
• Wear long pants and sleeves when outside
• Apply chemical insect repellent wit DEET, permethrin or picaridin
• Check your body, scalp, clothing and pets when your return from some time outside
• Shower soon after returning indoors
Keep getting out this summer. After a long year and a half, we all deserve some fresh air and fun in nature. But we have to be aware of what might come back inside with us, and when it comes to ticks,it’s a souvenir best left where it was found.