"Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds." — Regina Brett
Now the hot days are here; what a perfect time to be venturing into countryside, go for a walk in the forest or sit in the garden enjoying that cup of tea. Days spent outdoors are fun and good for our body and soul, but what we need to look out for are small arachnids called Ticks which are lurking around us.
Let’s talk about “nature’s dirty needles”. Tick bites transmit one particular corkscrew shaped bacteria called Borrelia, which causes Lyme Disease. This is a very serious illness which, after a COVID-19 related lull, is on the increase in the UK.
Although Ticks are most active in the summer, you can be bitten in any month. Infected ticks are found in woodlands, parkland but can also be found in urban parks and even gardens.
Here are some tips avoiding being bitten when outdoors:
- wear long sleeves and trousers, wear preferably light colours so you can spot them easily
-tuck your trouser into your socks
- tuck your trouser into your socks long grass
- wear insect repellent and consider treating outdoor clothing
- do a thorough tick check and have a shower when home (remember they can be as small as a poppy seed)
- also use tick prevention on your pets and check them thoroughly for ticks
What you need to do once you have a tick:
-Use correct utensils/ card tools to remove a tick,never pull off a tick with your fingers, normal tweezers or any other tool not
designed for the job
-Never smother the tick in oil or Vaseline as they will panic and spit dirty blood back to the
system
-If in doubt seek medical help (antibiotics might be prescribed)
Diagnosing Lyme Disease
-Ticks’ bites are easily missed and are normally not itchy or painful
-Lyme disease canbe hard to diagnose
-Many people willnot get the classic “bull's-eye” or “EM” rash (see picture below)
-A blood test cannot rule out Lyme disease
-There are no NHS Lyme disease specialists
Links;
Lyme Disease UK; www.lymediseaseuk.com
