May is Lyme Disease Month: Beware the Ticks
Synapse Staff Report
Lyme tick disease is a cruel illness, brought on in the western United States by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted to humans by the bite of infected western blacklegged ticks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.”
The key to the disease is early detection; the CDC says many – but not all – cases can be successfully treated with a heavy dose of antibiotics. But prevention remains the best course to follow: you can’t get sick if you don’t have the disease.
The CDC website has several helpful methods to help you prevent catching lyme tick disease. Go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/Lyme/ld_prevent.htm and learn how to protect yourself from tick bites, how to control ticks around your home, and how to learn the early signs of the disease. If you have been bitten by a tick, consult your doctor immediately. It is best of the doctor has experience in treating Lyme Disease, for the disease is often misdiagnosed.
Although Lyme Disease has been recognized by the medical community since the 1970s, many misconceptions and myths still surround this disease, how you get it, how you treat it and what the long term effects can be. Being uninformed about Lyme Disease can have serious health implications if you even come into contact with an infected tick.
Since May is National Lyme Disease Awareness month, here is a general overview of the things every Bay Area resident should know before going on your next run or hike (although ticks have spread so widely, it is even possible to be infected by a simple visit to your backyard). In much of the country, May is the unofficial start of summer, when people begin spending a great deal of time outdoors after a long winter confined inside. It is also the time when grasses and trees bloom and grow, and we know ticks in particular like to hide in tall grasses. The spring and summer months are also the time when ticks are most active, making them the most dangerous and likely times to come into contact with infected ticks. However, ticks are something to be aware of all year long in the Bay Area.
While not as prevalent as they are on the East Coast and Upper Midwest, ticks are a major risk factor in Northern California, particularly because of our mild climate and large amounts of wooded area populated by wildlife.
Detecting Lyme Disease by symptoms alone can be difficult because the symptoms of Lyme Disease are similar to those of other tick-borne illnesses. Symptoms of Lyme Diseases are divided into Early and Late symptoms. Early symptoms will usually occur within the first few days or weeks on infection including flu-like symptoms and a rash that often looks like a bulls-eye around the bite site. These symptoms can disappear, however the infection may remain.
Late symptoms may not develop for weeks or months and may be the first indication that a patient has Lyme Disease. These symptoms include numbness, tingling or burning in the extremities, twitching or paralysis, swelling of the joints, and difficulties with memory, speech and concentration. Doctors will often use blood tests (including Western Blots and Elisa) to diagnose Lyme Disease more certainly, as recommended by the CDC.
The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control outline several suggestions to minimize your exposure to ticks and tick-borne infections disease:
- Avoid wooded and grassy areas, particularly in the summer months, or areas such as fields that have wild rodents (ticks often live on these animals)
- Wear appropriate clothing – always wear long pants with tall socks, if possible tucking your pants into your socks, long sleeved shirts that are tight at the wrist and a hat. The hair is the most difficult place to find a tick.
- Spray clothing with insect repellents that are approved for ticks
- Always check yourself for ticks immediately following possible exposure.
- Wash clothing immediately and check pets carefully, as they are often tick magnets.
- If you have pets, check them for ticks after being outdoors. If you see a tick on your pet, do not remove it with your bare hands; use tweezers or go to a health facility for immediate removal.
The best prevention is to know what to look for. Go online to see what ticks look like and how to remove a tick that you find. Although Lyme Disease is a serious emerging infectious disease, it is treatable in its early stages. Being proactive and careful during time spent outdoors can have a significant impact on your ability to recover from, or avoid, a run-in with a tick.
This article appeared in the May 5, 2011 issue of Synapse.
