With fall fishing on the horizon and bear and goose hunting seasons coming up in early September, more outdoorsmen will be taking to the woods and fields, many of which are infested with disease carrying ticks. Lyme disease is one of the most prevalent diseases carried by ticks, along with babesiosis.
It's widely known that Lyme disease is carried by deer ticks, but it's also carried by black legged ticks and western black-legged ticks. The ticks transmit the bacteria through the bite when feeding on warm-blooded hosts like deer, mice, dogs and humans. In most cases, but not all, the first symptom is a rash that occurs at or near the site of a tick bite and has a round, "bulls-eye" appearance. It can be 2-6 inches in diameter and lasts up to five weeks. Other symptoms occur from several days to weeks, months, and even years after a bite. They include "flu-like" symptoms, such as aches and pains in muscles and joints, chills and fever, headache, sore throat, stiff neck, swollen glands, dizziness, and fatigue. Even if these symptoms fade away, untreated Lyme disease may lead to arthritis, nervous system abnormalities, and an irregular heart rhythm.
Babesiosis is another infection transmitted by ticks and is caused by a parasite that destroys red blood cells and results in a malaria-like illness. Symptoms begin anywhere from five days after a bite or longer, and may include fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, nausea, tiredness, and a rash. Babesiosis has been known to be fatal. Therefore diagnosis and treatment should begin as soon as possible after it is contracted.
A single tick bite can transmit more than one tick-borne illness — besides Lyme and Babesiosis — such as anaplasmosis, bartonella and tularemia. These co-infections further complicate diagnosis and treatment. Avoiding contact with ticks and disease prevention are the first and best lines of defense against tickborne infections. Here are some tips to help keep you and your family safe from these tiny threats.
There is a number of plants you can cultivate around your yard that repel ticks, including lavender, garlic, pennyroyal, pyrethrum (a type of chrysanthemum), sage, American beautyberry, and eucalyptus. If your lifestyle permits, raising chickens, ducks and guinea hens will help keep the tick population down as these feathered friends have a voracious appetite for them. Keep in mind that ticks attach easily to bare flesh. When outdoors, protect yourself and your children by wearing long sleeves and long pants, preferably in light colors so you can spot a tick more easily. Wear shoes and socks that you tuck pant legs into or a pair of tall boots.
Pets may pick up ticks so be sure to inspect them after they've been outside as they may deliver a tick to you, and they can also become sick with Lyme disease. After being outdoors, remove clothing and wash and dry at a high temperature as ticks may be lurking inside the folds and creases. Washing alone will not kill ticks — even with bleach — it's the heat of the dryer that does the trick.
Take a shower or bath within two hours of coming back inside, then perform a total body tick check (woo hoo!). In the case of Lyme disease, infection from a tick to a human typically takes 30-40 hours, so spotting and removing them quickly is an important first defense. (It is uncertain how long it takes for Babesiosis to spread).
If you discover a tick attached to you, carefully remove it. Using fine tweezers, grasp it close to the skin and pull straight back without twisting or yanking. There are also devices on the market today, such as the ProTick Remedy that are made for effectively and efficiently removing ticks. Avoid pressing or squeezing the tick's belly as it can push bacteria into your body like a hypodermic needle. Similarly, do not use the heat of a match that you light and blow out, or petroleum jelly. After you've removed the tick, disinfect the bite area. Save the tick for possible identification by a doctor or the local health department if symptoms appear.
If you've been infected there are some new medicines that aid in treatment and relief. "With tick-borne diseases, the body needs to detoxify, especially joint, muscle and nerve tissue," says Lou Paradise, president and chief of research of Topical BioMedics, Inc., in Rhinebeck, N.Y. "Topricin gives the body the support for its basic function of maintaining healthy cells and repairing damaged ones through enhanced healing. Its combination of natural biomedicines in a clean water-based cream base that's free of chemicals and other irritants helps restore vitality to joint, nerve, and muscle tissues while providing safe, effective pain relief."
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