6/23/2011 Lyme Disease Safety Tips



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Lyme Disease Safety Tips 

     Lyme disease is passed on to humans through the bite of a deer tick. They are generally small brown ticks that are found in grass as well as wooded areas. They can be in the middle of a forest or in your front yard. In 2010, it was reported that nearly 30,000 people were bit by a deer tick and contracted Lyme Disease. You should use extreme precaution in woods and areas with grass and bushes during the late spring and summer months when the ticks are most active.
     The best way to protect yourself against Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses is to avoid tick bites. This includes avoiding tick-infested areas. The most common occupations that should follow Lyme Disease safety tips are farmers, loggers, landscapers and park rangers. But, you can also be exposed away from work if you hunt, fish, camp, do yard work, or participate in hundreds of other outdoor activities.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

There are several symptoms of the disease that will help you decide if you should seek medical attention.

1. The most common symptom of Lyme Disease is a red rash that looks similar to a bulls-eye. It can show up anywhere from hours to weeks after the initial bite from the tick.
2. Fatigue
3. Fever
4. Headache
5. Sore Throat
6. Muscle Aches
7. Joint pain

Lyme Disease Prevention Tips

     If you live in, or visit wooded areas, or areas with tall grass and weeds, follow these precautions against Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis and tularemia:

• Use insect repellent with at least 20% DEET on yourself each time you work in exposure areas.
• Wear long sleeve shirts and pants. Tucking your pants in to your shoes may prevent ticks from climbing up your leg through the bottom of your pants.
• Wearing light color clothes will make it easier to spot ticks that may be on your body.
• Once you get home check your entire body for ticks that may have got through your clothing. Check under your arms, your scalp and groin as well as all your other body parts.
• If you find a tick it should be removed with a pair or tweezers. Folk remedies for tick removal tend to be ineffective, offer no advantages in preventing the transfer of disease, and may increase the risks of transmission or infection. The best method is simply to pull the tick out with tweezers as close to the skin as possible, without twisting, and avoiding crushing the body of the tick or removing the head from the body. The risk of infection increases with the time the tick is attached, and if a tick is attached for less than 24 hours, infection is unlikely. However, since these ticks are very small, especially in the nymph stage, prompt detection is quite difficult.
• If you are working beneath trees or high bushes wearing a hat will help reduce the risk of ticks in your hair.
• Never wear sandals or open toe shoes in areas where ticks could thrive. Wearing work boots that go past your ankles and are kept tied tightly will keep ticks from getting on your feet.

These Lyme disease safety tips should keep ticks off of your body while you are working. If you think your have been bitten by a deer tick and may have been exposed to Lyme disease, make an appointment to see your doctor immediately.