We are in full tick season, but there are easy measures you can practice to stay safe from tick-borne diseases.
There are numerous ways Lyme disease can affect your body, with symptoms ranging from mild to plain devastating.
Eva Sapi is a Lyme disease expert at the University of New Haven. She claims that the most important thing you can do to avoid the dangerous disease is avoiding getting bit by ticks, which transmit bacteria in the process.
Tick-borne bacteria normally enters the bloodstream between 36 and 48 hours after getting a bite.
Therefore, it is crucial that you perform tick checks each time you enter the shower or after going outside, as this can be your lifeline in avoiding tick-borne diseases.
Ticks are more common than some people think, as they can be present in an average backyard, not just on trails.
It is advised that you regularly check areas of your body where ticks typically hide, including behind the knees, in the hairline, as this can significantly decrease the chance of catching bacteria.
Nymph ticks are the most common type to infect humans, and they can be as small as poppy seeds and tough to spot for the untrained naked eye.
If, however, you notice that you got a tick attached to your body, you can follow the CDC procedure to remove it, as it is very simple to do and can be performed by anybody at home.
There are numerous basic guidelines you can follow to make sure that you limit the risk of getting bit by a tick:
- You should limit the area of exposed skin when you go outside.
- Use bug spray on your body and permethrin on your clothes.
- Put your clothes in a separate place like the dryer after you come back from outside.
- Make sure that you take showers often and perform tick checks in the meantime.
