People who live in areas of the country already known for ticks and Lyme Disease have a good idea what’s up when tick season begins; you need to start watching for bites, vague viral symptoms, and keeping your yard clear of wild animals and long grass. But ticks are spreading coast to coast, new viruses are popping up, and new tick species are bringing the threat of more serious illnesses. Things are changing, and we all need to be aware of ticks, tick borne illness and tick prevention.
A good starting place is with yourself—the real concern isn’t the ick of the tick bite, it’s the risk of disease. Support your immune system with colloidal silver through tick season and beyond (Lyme Disease has a slow onset, and new diagnoses will continue into fall). Know how you feel on an average day, since tick symptoms are often confused for other things (being fatigued for another reason, having a summer cold, etc.).
Then work on good habits, like checking yourself and your pets for tick bites after going outside. You can help make your yard less tick friendly by keeping grass short, creating a barrier (like rocks) between your yard and wild grass/trees, and getting rid of places mice, voles, deer, and other wild mammals might enter or congregate.
If you find a tick bite, remove it in a straightforward manner, then watch for symptoms. It’s unlikely you’ll get the telltale bullseye rash of Lyme Disease—in some estimations it only appears in less than half of Lyme Disease cases, and won’t appear at all in related tick borne illnesses. Dogs can get Lyme Disease, too, so watch pets for changes in behavior.
One important strategy for tick season is to check what’s going on locally. You can find local warnings, which tick borne illnesses are in your area, and if a local University, hospital, or government agency is offering free tick testing (so you can know if you’re at risk after a bite). You may also find community efforts that you can join to reduce ticks and mosquitoes in your neighborhood.
Ticks are waking up from the cold. Get set, and support your immune system with colloidal silver.
