Lyme Disease: Awareness is the Best Defense

   When temperatures rise above 40 degrees, the carrier of Lyme disease — the deer tick — is much more prevalent. While walks through wooded areas or tall grass provide the highest risk of picking up a deer tick, dogs, cats and mice can also bring deer ticks into the home. During outdoor activities such as camping, extra precautions should be taken to avoid this unpleasant illness.

  Awareness is the key.  Avoiding ticks is, of course, best, but recognizing the early warning signs of the disease is also vitally important.  The sooner a physician diagnoses Lyme disease, the easier it is to treat.  By recognizing the symptoms, patients play an important role in helping physicians determine the cause.

   If you do find a tick, the best course it to stay calm. It usually takes 36 hours after the tick attaches itself before the disease can spread. The presence of a tick does not mean you have been bitten.  Carefully pry the tick loose with fine tweezers, being careful not to crush or break it.  If possible, store it in a plastic bag for later analysis.  Finding a tick — even one that has clearly fed on you — does not necessarily mean that you have the disease, but you should consult your physician.