What You Should Know about Lyme Disease
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a potentially dangerous illness with flu-like symptoms and is transmitted by the bite of a deer tick. Peak season is from April to September.
What is a deer tick?
This small pest is about the size of a poppy seed. Deer ticks prefer to hide in shady, moist areas, but can also be found clinging to tall grass, shrubs and tree branches. They also inhabit lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woodlands and around old stone walls where deer and white-footed mice thrive. Deer ticks cannot jump or fly.
How do I protect myself?
Avoid tick infested areas, but if you must enter a wooded area, clothing offers some protection. Wear light-colored clothes, which make it easier to spot the tick. Wear long-sleeved shirts and shoes that cover your whole foot. Tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks. Check for ticks on your clothing and on your body when you return home. Check your pet for ticks as well.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a round red rash which may grow to five to seven inches. But a rash does not always appear. Other symptoms are muscle and joint aches, headaches, fever and fatigue. Contact your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms.
Tell me more...
Read Cecilia Mullen's article on Insect Bites, Lyme Disease and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.