During the summer we naturally gravitate outside, but that means more exposure to ticks (and a much higher chance of catching Lyme Disease!).
Lyme Disease carrying ticks are in more than half of US counties… and spreading. Plus, there are other similar diseases in other regions that are also spread by ticks. And even with Lyme Disease being more common, many still struggle to get a diagnosis. So stay on top of prevention and be ready to fight for a diagnosis.
Ticks are found in tall grass. Keep wildlife out of your yard and create a barrier between your grass and wild grass to help keep your yard tick free. (Wildlife exception: possums, which eat ticks!).
When you’re out, be sure to wear long sleeves and pants to help prevent ticks from falling/crawling onto your skin (luckily they don’t jump). If you have an area to change, take the clothes off before going inside and check your skin for any ticks who made it through.
If you find a tick bite, remove the tick and bring it somewhere to get tested for Lyme Disease. (Be straightforward about tick removal; no oils, tapes, or other gimmicks). Don’t forget that outside pets need checked too!
You might not find a tick, but since they’re small one might get through anyway. In that case, watch for symptoms of Lyme Disease beyond the famous bullseye rash (which isn’t that common anyway). Fatigue, joint pain, fever, and headache are all symptoms of Lyme Disease, as well as many other diseases. A tick bite is often the determining factor, so be sure to tell doctors if you have a tick bite in your history, or even if you’ve been outside recently. You may have to be an advocate for your own diagnosis!
Chronic Lyme Disease (recently changed to Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome) is a catch-all for many things. Lyme Disease that survived treatment (antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, after all), a second Lyme Disease infection from another trip outdoors (often patients test positive for a different strain), or lingering damage from the original Lyme Disease (it can damage joints and organs if untreated).
If you like spending time outside (even just on your patio) follow Lyme Disease prevention and keep your immune system strong with colloidal silver.
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