How Can I Prevent Lyme Disease?
(Part 2 of 2)
By Roland Larrabee, MD
In my first article, a brief description of Lyme disease was discussed. Brief mention was made of how one feels if they develop the illness, and what to do if you have a tick bite and whether antibiotics are needed. In this article, the more important item will be discussed - avoiding tick bites altogether and hence your risk of Lyme disease.
Wear light-colored clothing that covers most of your skin when you go into the woods or fields. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants instead of shorts. Tuck your pant legs into your socks for added protection. A hat may help too. Once indoors after your outing, undress and check for ticks. They usually crawl around awhile before biting.
Use an insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin. Apply DEET sparingly to skin according to label directions. Wash the spray from your hands. Don't apply it on the face and hands of children. Put permethrin only on clothes. Treat household pets for fleas and ticks. Check pets after they've been outdoors. Brush off pets before entering the house. Check your gear, e.g., knapsacks, and tents also for ticks.
Check your skin and your children's skin, body and scalp carefully every night for ticks and rashes. You aren't likely to get Lyme disease if the tick has been attached to your skin for less than 48 hours. Brush off clothing before entering the house. Consider immediately washing your clothes, and showering and shampooing yourself.
If you live in a wooded area, consider applying an acaricide to your yard in the spring. An acaricide is a chemical that kills ticks. Only use it on the outside, not on your clothes or body.
Be aware of areas where ticks can be found. Do not walk, camp, or hunt in the woods of tick-infested areas without proper precautions. In over-grown countryside, try and stay near the center of trails.
If you find a tick, don't panic! Using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick body as close to your skin as possible, and rotate carefully in one direction while pulling with gentle pressure until the tick comes out. Be careful not to squeeze the tick body. If any tick parts remain on the skin, try to carefully remove them the same way you would a splinter. Then wash the area and your hands with soap and water.
Don't use the old methods of putting petroleum jelly, nail polish, kerosene, gasoline, or matches on the tick to try and remove it. They don't work. If you spend much time hiking or in the outdoors, you may want to invest in a pair of "tick" tweezers available at many sporting goods stores and place in your first-aid kit. Save the tick in a sealed jar of alcohol in case you need it in the future to determine your risk or presence of Lyme disease.
After the tick is removed, see your doctor for recommendations. At the very least, watch the area and the rest of your skin over the next one to two months for a rash. If you get a rash or flu-like illness, see your doctor immediately. Be sure to tell your doctor that you were bitten by a tick and when. Only people who get sick and/or get a rash after being bitten by a tick need antibiotics, but you must still be told what to look out for in case illness develops later.
Dr. Larrabee is Medical Director of Family and Community Medicine at the Walter L. Aument Family Health Center, 317 S. Chestnut St., Quarryville.