Preventing Lyme Disease
Colleen Shannon, our Heath Writer, finds out how to avoid ticks and their germs.
WE’VE arrived at that time of year when our British countryside is at its glorious best. These are the months to enjoy a summer ramble, which is a great prescription for health.
Unfortunately, we are also into the peak season for ticks, which can spread several nasty infections, including Lyme disease. The condition is named after an area in Connecticut, USA, where doctors noticed an outbreak in the local community.
Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause distressing health problems, including effects on your joints, heart and nervous system. That’s why prevention and quick treatment are so important.
The infection is caused by bacteria, and the ticks that carry it may be found in many parts of the UK.
They live in woodlands, grasslands and even parks and gardens. The ticks can’t jump or fly. They cling to leaves and long grasses, waiting for an animal or human to brush past so they can hitch a ride and enjoy a meal.
Once it has climbed aboard, the tick burrows its tiny mouthpart under your skin and begins feasting on your blood – and possibly giving you an infection. Fortunately, not all ticks carry Lyme disease. Removing the tick quickly so it has less time to share any germs can greatly reduce your risk, but this must be done carefully.
I asked the charity Lyme Disease Action (LDA) for some tips on prevention. Their chairman, Stella Huyshe Shires, advises keeping to paths when you are out walking. Avoid brushing against long vegetation, and give your clothing a good brush down after a walk. Check your skin, feeling with your hands for any bumps that might be ticks (they can be as small as a poppy seed).
When you’ve been walking the dog, she adds, be sure to brush its coat before you go inside. Give your pet a regular combing, and check your furry friend routinely for ticks.
Dr Matthew Dryden, a Consultant in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, would also advise wearing long trousers and socks when you go out walking. An insect repellent containing DEET can help, too.
If you do have a tick bite, it might be several days before you notice any symptoms. Many people get a red rash (but not everyone does). The rash may spread out in a circle from the bite. Sometimes it looks like a bull’s-eye and it can get very big. Lyme disease can also cause flu-like symptoms.
If it’s possible you’ve had a tick bite and you get a rash or feel unwell, please see your GP without delay. A course of antibiotics is the main treatment.
You can learn more from NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk/conditions/ Lyme-disease and on LDA’S website at www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk. Check the website link http://tinyurl.com/ jsqyzsr for some great advice from Public Health England. If you are not online, you can write to Lyme Disease Action, P.O. Box 235, Penryn TR10 8WZ, to request leaflets and information by post. You can also buy a special tick removal tool cheaply from a vet or LDA. n