Keeping safe from ticks and Lyme disease

One of the hazards of the summer months, especially for families who enjoy spending time outdoors, is the hated tick. These little bloodsuckers find a cozy spot and latch onto our bodies, feeding for as long as three days before they drop off.

During that time, they can transmit disease to us, the most common of which is a bacterial infection called Lyme disease. Dr. Brandon Bedsole, second-year resident with the Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, shared tips to help you reduce the risk of tick bites and recognize signs of infection.

Preventing tick bites

Anyone who spends time in tick-friendly environments is at higher risk for being found by one of these unpleasant hitchhikers. Kids, who often enjoy playing in the grass, woods and leaf piles, are at higher risk.

For your first line of defense, look to clothing and insect repellants. Ideally, kids and adults should dress in long sleeves and light-colored clothing, especially for activities like hiking through the woods. This will make it easier to spot a tick before it has a chance to bite.

Also try to avoid clothing that fits very loosely, because open armholes, untucked shirts and wide-legged shorts or pants allow ticks easy access to the skin. Consider wearing a snug hat, as well.

Safe and effective choices for insect repellants include those with DEET, IR3535 or picaridin.

Once you’re back indoors, make sure you don’t have any unwelcome passengers. Dr. Bedsole suggests checking the following spots in particular:

• Behind the ears and along the hairline
• Under the arms
• Behind the knees
• Where clothing meets the skin, such as the waistband and sock lines
• Belly button
• Groin area and buttocks, because ticks can travel up the leg before latching on

“They like to hide in skin folds and other areas which one might not expect,” Dr. Bedsole explains.

Don’t forget to check your pets for ticks. You can run your fingers through their fur to feel for small bumps. Common hiding spots include the ears, neck, armpits, groin and between their toes.

You can kill any ticks that may be clinging to your clothing by putting the clothes in a laundry dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes (longer if the clothing is damp). Do this even before washing the clothes. Because deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease, are extremely small and difficult to spot, this step is particularly helpful for reducing the chance of getting bitten.

If you’re bitten

Should you find a tick attached to the skin, Dr. Bedsole says to simply remove it as soon as possible. The more promptly you remove it, the lower the chance of the tick transmitting a disease to you or your child.

To remove a tick:

• Grasp it with clean tweezers (fine-tipped if possible) as close to the skin as possible. Pull the tick away using steady, even pressure.
• Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet, wrapping it securely in tape, putting it in a sealed container or immersing it in alcohol.
• Be sure to thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands using soap and water, hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.
• If you find one tick, there may be others, so be sure to check your entire body, or your child’s entire body.

Recognizing symptoms of Lyme disease

If you find a tick bite, watch for signs of a rash. “But be aware that deer ticks are so small you might find signs of a rash without ever seeing a tick,” says Dr. Bedsole.

The classic rash associated with Lyme disease is in the shape of a bull’s eye, but it doesn’t always appear in that shape. And if the rash is in a hard-to-see area like the scalp, you might miss it.

For this reason, it’s important to be aware that Lyme disease can also cause flu-like symptoms: fever, fatigue, headache or muscle aches. Children might be irritable, have trouble sleeping or develop swollen joints.

Any of these signs after a possible tick exposure warrants a trip to your Beacon primary care provider or your child’s pediatrician. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but early diagnosis is important for a full recovery without complications, such as lingering fatigue, body pain or even “brain fog.”

“When it comes to Lyme disease, early diagnosis and treatment are really important,” emphasizes Dr. Bedsole. “Don’t hesitate to reach out to your family’s Beacon provider if you have any concerns.”

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