Hopefully, you’re already doing a tick check after you spend time outdoors. What happens if you find a tick bite? You should send it in, and if you live in Pennsylvania (which has the highest number of Lyme Disease cases nationally) you can get it tested for free.
If you find a tick bite, your vet or doctor may know a cheap lab you can send the tick into (or one that works with your insurance). If you live in Pennsylvania, getting a tick checked for disease is free from Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University ($50-$200 for everyone else). With a 3 day turnaround, you can find out if you may be infected before symptoms appear, potentially averting some of the worst long-term effects of diseases like Lyme Disease.
Do tick checks to avert tick bites (they may be crawling on your skin or clothes) and to discover them. Tick bites don’t automatically hurt or itch, and even if they carry a disease like Lyme Disease they may not indicate any signs of infection (most Lyme Disease cases won’t get the tell-tale bullseye rash).
In addition to testing, get a jump on any potential tick borne illnesses (which also include babesiosis, and rarer, worse ones like Powassan virus which has popped up in New Jersey this year), make sure you’re supporting your immune system with colloidal silver).
Tick bites can happen in your own yard, and ticks can even be brought in by pets. Although it’s most talked about on the East coast, ticks and their diseases are a problem coast to coast.
Be prepared during tick season with colloidal silver.
