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Ticks and Lyme Disease
Watch Out for Ticks and Be Aware of
Lyme Disease
Before venturing out and enjoying the great outdoors, make sure
you take some precautions against becoming infected with Lyme disease, a disease
transmitted from the bite of an infected tick. The third week of July is
designated Lyme Disease Awareness Week but it's always good to take precautions
to prevent Lyme Disease. The following are some tips that can protect you from
tick bites:
- Wear light-colored clothing. This allows you to see a
tick more easily.
- Wear a hat and long-sleeved shirt.
- Tuck your clothes in, shirts into pants and pants
into socks. Use a rubber band or tape the area where the socks and pants meet
to prevent ticks from getting under clothing.
- Use an insect repellant with DEET on exposed skin and
clothes. Read the label instructions and cautions about use on young children.
- When hiking, stay in the middle of trails, and avoid
underbrush, fallen tress, and tall grass.
- After being outdoors or if you are outdoors for a
long period, perform a tick check. Shower immediately after coming indoors. If
you find a tick on your body, remove it by doing the following;
- Using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the
tick as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly, steadily, and firmly.
Avoid crushing the tick’s body.
- Once removed, clean the area with antiseptic, such
as alcohol.
- Save the tick in a jar of alcohol or taped it to a
piece of cardboard so it can be identified by your local health department.
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The following are early signals of Lyme
disease that may appear a few days or weeks after a tick bite:
- Fever and chills
- Muscle and joint aches
- Weakness or fatigue
- Headache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Skin rash, which may have a bull’s-eye appearance
Signals that may appear weeks, months, or
even years after a tick bite include the following:
- Arthritis
- Numbness
- Paralysis of the facial muscles, usually on one side
- Memory loss
- Problems with hearing or vision
- Severe headache
- High fever
- Stiff neck
- Irregular or rapid heart beat
- If any of these signals appear or you have bitten by
a tick, consult your medical professional.
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