How to detect and prevent Lyme Disease
by Joseph Miner
It's summer and time to head outside and enjoy mother nature! But when you get inside, you should always check for ticks. They're not just gross, you can get Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by tick bites, especially from deer ticks.
Most of the reported cases occur in the northeastern and north central areas of the U.S. like New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
It sounds pretty scary, but there are ways to figure out if you've got Lyme disease before it really has its hooks in you. If you get bit by a tick and develop a rash, go see your doctor. That's the most common and obvious sign of Lyme disease.
The most common symptoms are fatigue, headache, joint pain, and heart palpitations. Lyme disease doesn't pop up on blood tests in the early stages, but it will after a while.
So how do you protect yourself from ticks?
Before heading into a wooded or grassy area, apply a tick repellent. If you don't have access to any, ticks don't like lemon or lavender scented products. So using a moisturizer or perfume with those scents will keep the ticks away.
Tie up long hair up and wear a hat, checking your hat for ticks is easier than going over every inch of your scalp.
Not all ticks carry Lyme disease, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
