Most of us love being outside and active as much as possible during summer and fall in the Hudson Valley and although the last thing anyone wants to worry about is contracting Lyme disease, we need to be cautious in our area. Here are six smart tips from Dr. Reed Idriss, medical director at Nuvance Health-GoHealth Urgent Care for preventing and managing tick bites so you can enjoy the great outdoors without worry.
1. Educate yourself on tick types
Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, can transmit several diseases, including Lyme disease. They cause the most problems in spring, summer, and fall in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and mid-Atlantic. Aggressive lone star ticks are common in the South and East and feed from early spring through late fall. Their irritating bites can cause a variety of diseases and are associated with Alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to milk and meat that can be life-threatening. American dog ticks, also known as wood ticks, are common east of the Rockies. They bite in the spring and summer and can spread tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
2. Focus on protection
If you’re outside regularly, use an insect repellent containing DEET to prevent ticks from getting on your body. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends treating outerwear, boots, and camping gear with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin, an insecticide and repellent that doesn’t affect people when it is dry. You can buy pretreated gear or you can apply it to clothing and gear yourself, but you must follow strict safety precautions. Other tips: Opt for light-colored outdoor clothing to make it easier to spot ticks. It’s also a good idea to tuck shirts into waistbands and pant legs into socks. The CDC also recommends landscaping tips that discourage ticks, such as putting decks, patios, and play structures in sunny areas and creating a three-foot buffer of gravel or woodchips between woods and rec areas.
3. Keep the insects out of the house
As soon as you’re inside, put your clothing in the dryer and run it on high heat for at least ten minutes—high, dry heat kills ticks. In the meantime, promptly perform a thorough tick check of everyone who was outside. Thoroughly check children, paying special attention to hiding places such as in and around hair, in and behind ears, in body folds such as the groin, armpits, back of knees, in the belly button, and around the waist. If there is no other adult to help with your own check, use a hand mirror or a full-length mirror to make sure you’ve thoroughly checked your body. Once clear, jump in the shower to rinse off any unattached ticks.
4. Don’t forget pets
Dogs and cats can carry ticks to you and are susceptible to some tick-borne diseases, too. Check for ticks daily on pets that spend time outdoors—especially in and around the ears, around the eyelids, around the tail, under the collar, under the front legs, between the back legs, and between the toes. Remove any ticks immediately and consult your vet.
5. Learn proper tick removal
If you find a tick, remove it immediately. While some tick-borne illnesses can be transmitted in minutes, the bacteria that causes Lyme isn’t usually transmitted until the tick has fed for 36 hours or more.
- Put on gloves and using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out using pressure that is firm but not crushing. Never crush the tick or attempt to burn it or coat it with nail polish remover or ointment.
- Place the tick in a sealed bag or jar in case a physician needs to identify it. You can also take photos of the tick next to a reference item, such as a ruler.
- Swab the area with rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining bacteria. Cover the area with a bandage and wash your hands.
6. Consult a healthcare provider
Removing a tick promptly makes problems less likely. Diagnosis and treatment are based on a variety of factors, including the type of tick, tick-borne diseases prevalent in the Hudson Valley, how long the tick was attached, and patient symptoms. Go to urgent care or see your doctor if you cannot remove all parts of the tick or if the site becomes painful, changes color, or oozes. You should also see a doctor if any of these symptoms arise within 30 days: a red bull’s-eye rash at the bite site; a significant, expanding rash; flu-like symptoms including a fever, chills, headache, or nausea, swollen lymph nodes, weakness, fatigue, joint pain, stiffness, or swelling, and facial paralysis.
