Monthly Health Articles Archive

Easy tricks to deal with ticks
Learn about Lyme disease

If you feel something creeping and crawling on your head or body after a walk in the woods, take the time to check yourself and others around you for ticks.  Tick bites can lead to Lyme disease and other tick-related illnesses.  A quick check of your body and clothes can help you stay healthy through the major tick season months of May, June and July.

In our part of the country, the black-legged tick (also known as the deer tick) is most likely to transmit Lyme disease. Ticks tend to prefer wooded areas, high grass and places with lots of leaf litter.  Avoiding these places isn’t always possible, but do try a couple of tactics to avoid ticks while you enjoy the outdoors.  First, dress appropriately.  If you plan to spend time in a tick area, wear long sleeves and long pants.  A baseball cap or hat may help keep ticks off your head – in addition to providing some sun protection.  Light colored clothing helps you find ticks easily and tucking your pants into your socks helps to keep them from sneaking up your pant leg (even if it does look a little silly!)

Second, apply bug repellent if you are going into an area where you anticipate ticks.  Some insect repellents will help prevent tick bites as well as mosquitoes. Use repellents that contain DEET, but when applying it on a child look for a repellent with a lower concentration of DEET.  Use Permethrin on your clothing (not directly on your skin). When you return indoors, wash off the repellents.

Do a thorough search for ticks before turning in for the night.  Ticks can attach to any part of the human body, but are often lurking around in hard to see areas like the armpits, scalp and groin.  In most situations, the tick must be attached to your body for 36 to 48 hours or more before Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted.  If you do find a tick and believe that it has been on your body for a long period of time, watch for a circular rash to appear – this is generally the first sign of infection. 

This rash can develop after three to 30 days at the site of a tick bite and tends to gradually spread over time.  Patients may also experience symptoms such as fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph nodes, but not all people with Lyme disease have all the symptoms.  If left untreated, the infection might spread to other parts of the body over the next few days or weeks.  At this stage, some patients may have severe headaches and neck stiffness, heart palpitations, dizziness and increased joint pain. If you believe you are experiencing the symptoms of Lyme disease or have seen a circular rash on your body, consult with your health care provider for a professional diagnosis. 

By following the easy tricks of dressing properly, using repellent wisely and doing regular tick checks, you can enjoy the outdoors and have a healthy, happy summer.

-Dr. Jeff Doolittle is a family physician at Kossuth Regional Health Center