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Spring Bites: Preventing Lyme Disease

Last Reviewed on: October 14, 2004

When spring approaches, people across the country emerge from their wintertime captivity to enjoy the great outdoors. Unfortunately, another creature also makes an entrance in the spring-the deer tick, best known as the carrier of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a serious bacterial infection that can affect your joints, heart and nervous system. The key to preventing the disease is, of course, avoiding tick bites. But with ticks everywhere, what can you do to stay bite-free? We talked with two experts who shared helpful tips for you, your children, and your pets.

Q: Where are you most at risk of being bitten by a deer tick?
BRENT WISE, MD: Generally, deer ticks live in wooded areas, although people who play golf and retrieve a golf ball from tall grass are certainly at risk. They can be on household pets, so if you live in an endemic area and you have pets that go out into the woods, or even just outside, the pet can acquire ticks which can be transferred to the human host.

Q: If you live in a high-tick area, what precautions should you take?
ALEX McMEEKING, MD: First of all, try to stay out of wooded areas with long grass. If you are in these areas, make sure you're wearing long pants. And when you do get back to your home, check for ticks. Look closely because they can be very small and difficult to detect.

also think it's important, if you live in an endemic area, that your pet be treated with an anti-tick and anti-flea preparation or collar. And you should still check your pet for ticks and fleas as well.

Q: Where on the body are ticks often found?
BRENT WISE, MD: Ticks like to go into skin folds, for example under the arms, behind the ears, and in the groin area. But it's really important to look yourself over completely. You should also have someone else help you with that task and look over your back-side very carefully to make sure that there are no ticks.

Q: Does insect repellant help?
ALEX McMEEKING, MD: You can use insect repellents if you're going to be in area with bushes, especially using it along the top of your socks or sleeves and by your neck. Repellant with a chemical called DEET in it is quite effective-quite a lot of insecticides have that. But it's important to know that children should use insect repellents with no more than ten percent DEET.

Q: What should you do if you find a tick on your body?
ALEX McMEEKING, MD: The first thing I tell people is not to worry, because the tick has to be on at least for twenty-four hours to transmit the bacterial infection. The second thing I tell them is to try and remove the tick. It can be pulled out with tweezers. If it has embedded its head into your skin and you find that you can't get it out, you can use something such as baby oil or olive oil to try and suffocate the tick, or irritate it enough that it will remove itself from your skin.

I also tell my patients to bring the tick into the office. Many commercial labs will do an analysis and tell you if it is indeed a deer tick. There are other types of ticks out there, and they don't all carry Lyme disease.