Herds of deer and other animals seeking food and water near residential areas because of the recent drought may increase the spread of Lyme disease, which is transmitted by ticks carried by wildlife.
According to the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC), if you live or work in residential areas surrounded by tick-infested woods or overgrown brush, you are at risk for getting Lyme disease, especially during the late spring and summer months. People who work or play in their yard, participate in hiking, camping, fishing and hunting, engage in outdoor occupations such as landscaping, brush clearing and forestry are also at risk.
The CDC reported in January that Lyme disease has been identified in more than 80 percent of California.
As Barbara Barsocchini sits in her Malibu home office going through papers, she recalls the countless doctor visits and years of wondering, Why do I feel so bad for no apparent reason? before she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease.
“I was treated like I was crazy,” she said. “Each doctor told me they couldn’t find anything wrong with me.
“It was my son’s pet” that brought the tick into her home, Barsocchini continued. “I used to let him go outside and play in the yard. It never dawned on me that there were ticks in the area.”
Most people think of cats, dogs, horses and deer carrying a tick, but any animal can be a carrier of parasite.
Lyme disease is a preventable, bacterial disease transmitted by the bite of western black-legged ticks or deer ticks. It may be cured by early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment. It can also be present in the human body for years without a person knowing about it.
The most recognizable sign of having Lyme disease is a spreading rash, which may be accompanied by fever, aches and fatigue. The rash occurs on an average of seven to nine days after the bite of an infected tick, sometimes as late as 30 days. It may begin as a small red spot and grow larger. Later, the center may fade, creating a “bulls-eye” or ring appearance.
The disease was first discovered in 1975 after researchers investigated why unusually large numbers of children in Lyme, Connecticut were being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Most of the affected children lived near wooded areas that harbored ticks, and their first symptoms typically started in the summer months coinciding with the height of the tick season. Several of the patients interviewed reported having a skin rash just before developing arthritis, and many also recalled being bitten by a tick at the rash site.
Other symptoms associated with having Lyme disease include unexplained hair loss, headaches, sore throat, double or blurry vision, light sensitivity, decreased hearing in both ears, constipation, upset stomach, joint pain or swelling, memory loss, mood swings, paranoia, insomnia and forgetting how to perform simple tasks. Also, early spread of the disease to the nervous system can cause the face to droop-a condition called Bell’s palsy.
To keep yourself free from tick bites, take advice from the CDC and avoid tick habitats such as moist, shaded environments, especially areas with leaf litter and low-lying vegetation in wooded, brushy or overgrown grassy habitat.
When walking in this kind of environment, wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be spotted easily. Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck your pants into your socks. Ticks are usually close to the ground, so wearing high rubber boots will provide additional protection.
Apply insect repellent containing DEET (n,n-diethyl-mtoluamide) on exposed skin and clothing. Also apply permethrin to clothes, which kills ticks on contact. Perform daily tick checks. Embedded ticks should be removed using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly and pull the tick’s body away from the skin. Then cleanse the area with an antiseptic. If caught early enough, Lyme disease can easily be treated with three to four weeks of antibiotics.
What to do if bitten by a tick:
* Grasp the tick with a tissue or tweezers as close to your skin as possible.
* Gently pull the tick from the skin.
* Apply an antiseptic to the bite area.
* Wash your hands with soap and water.
* Save the tick for identification by placing it in a napkin and moisten with water to avoid dehydration.
* If the tick cannot be removed or part of it is left in the skin, consult your doctor.
To be tick free:
A tick can bite you during any season of the year. If you are in an area where you think there may be ticks you should:
* Avoid sitting directly on the ground.
* Dress properly by wearing light-colored long pants and long sleeves, tuck your shirt into pants and pants into socks to keep ticks on the outside of your clothes.
* When you are inside- check your entire body for ticks by looking at your clothes, run your fingers over your skin, hair, ears and underarms.