How can I protect myself and my family against Lyme disease?
Avoiding a tick bite remains the first step in preventing chronic Lyme disease. One needn’t have been “hiking in the woods” in order to be bitten by a tick. There can be ticks wherever there is grass of vegetation, and tick bites can happen any time of the year. Spraying ones’ clothing with (Permethrin) containing insecticide, wearing long sleeves and long pants, and “tucking pants into socks”, continue to be the best way to avoid ticks attaching to the skin. But don’t forget the post-walk body check.Check your tick facts
Ticks can vary in size from a poppy-seed size nymph tick to a sesame-seed adult tick. The ticks can carry other infectious agents besides the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, including Ehrlichia, Anaplamosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Mycoplasma fermentins, and Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV6). Lyme disease can sometimes be hard to cure if these other infections are not treated at the same time.
Show your doctor every rash
The bull’s-eye rash is the most common, but there are many other types of rashes associated with Lyme disease. In fact, Lyme disease rashes can be mistaken for spider bites or skin infections. Take photos and make sure a medical professional sees the rash before it fades.
Don’t assume that you can’t have Lyme disease if you don’t have a rash
Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose without a rash. Studies show as low as 30% of people with Lyme disease get a rash. Other initial symptoms can include; Bell’s palsy, arthritis, or meningitis, but you can still have Lyme and not have any of those signs or symptoms. Many people react differently to the infection experiencing a variety of symptoms.
