Lyme Disease Update

Throughout the next year, AMS President Dr. Scott Ferguson will be writing commentaries for statewide publications on different topics of public health. We invite you to read the following commentary and reply with any feedback, additions or corrections you may have. Watch for these commentaries to run in your local newspaper. ************************************************* Protect Yourself from Tick-Borne Lyme Disease Guest Commentary Scott Ferguson, MD Arkansas Medical Society President Warm months bring us an increased exposure to those pesky little things called ticks, which can carry diseases. A common tick-borne disease is Lyme disease, which can cause a rash around the tick bite, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, joint aches and in severe cases can cause neurological disorders. Playing in the yard, camping, hiking, working outdoors and gardening all increase your chances of coming in contact with a tick. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease, but there are certainly things you can do to reduce your chances of coming in contact with one. Ticks attach to your skin when you come in direct contact with them. They will usually climb upward until they reach a protected or creased area such as the back of your knee, groin, navel, armpit, ears or neck. The best protection is to avoid coming in contact with vegetation as much as possible. Ticks favor moist, shaded areas, especially places with leaf litter and low-lying vegetation in the woods, brush or overgrown grass. Any contact with vegetation, even playing in the yard, can result in an exposure to ticks, so it's important to check your entire body each bight before going to bed. If you are going to be in an area that may have ticks, here are some things you can do to avoid and help prevent possible tick bites: * Wear light-colored clothing so you can see ticks more easily and remove them before they attach to your skin * Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck your pants into your socks or boots to keep ticks from reaching your skin * Apply an insect repellant that contains DEET to your clothes and exposed skin (follow product guidelines) * Scan your clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks * Stay on clear, well-traveled trails * Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls * Keep long hair tied back * Do a final, full-body check at the end of the day (including pets) After you have been in an area where ticks may live, check your body for ticks and remove any of them that may be attached. To do this, simply use a pair of tweezers to firmly grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible, firmly pull the tick away from your skin and then cleanse the area with an antiseptic. Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products to remove the tick. They can backfire and even increase the chances of the tick transmitting the disease. Ticks transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease after it has been attached to the skin for about 36-48 hours. Lyme disease most often causes a "bulls-eye" shaped rash around the bite area. You also can have fever, chills, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and joint aches. The time of infection to the time of initial symptoms is usually 7 to 14 days, but can be as short as 3 days or as long as 30 days. If you notice a red rash surrounding a tick bite, have flu-like symptoms or joint pain in the first month following any deer tick bite, you should immediately see your doctor. More severe, potentially debilitating symptoms of later-stage Lyme disease may not occur until weeks, months or, in a few cases, years after a tick bite. These can include severe headaches, painful arthritis and joint swelling, cardiac abnormalities and central nervous system problems that could lead to mental disorders or paralysis. Antibiotics are used to treat early stages of Lyme disease, and treatment normally lasts for 3-4 weeks. Later stages of Lyme disease may require treatment with IV antibiotics for 4 weeks or more, depending on the severity of the disease. If treated early with antibiotics, Lyme disease is almost always readily cured. Later stages also can be treated effectively, but response to treatment varies from person to person. Some people may have symptoms that linger for months or years following treatment. In rare instances, Lyme disease can cause permanent damage. The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to prevent tick bites. Take the precautions mentioned above use insect repellant if you are planning on being outdoors, even if you are just playing in your yard or gardening. Then before going to bed, check all over your body for ticks and remove any you see. Monitor the tick bite area for the next month and see your doctor if you have a rash or any other symptoms of Lyme disease. --END--