The number of people with Lyme disease has been growing steadily and government health officials are focused on creating awareness of the disease and how to protect yourself. Lyme disease is usually contracted through an infected deer tick and many people who are bitten don’t show any symptoms right away. It can take from weeks to years to show any signs of the disease and symptoms vary greatly. Lyme disease can cause mild flu-like symptoms, and also more serious reactions such as joint pain, muscle weakness, and confusion. Although cases have been popping up world-wide, there’s actually a lot you can do to lower your risk of becoming infected.
Lyme disease is easily transmitted, so it’s vital to be aware of the following Lyme disease protection tips…
1. Check Your Body
Ticks that carry Lyme disease are very small and often hard to see unless you’re looking. If you’ve ever had an outdoor pet, you’ve likely checked its fur to see if there are any ticks or other bugs on it. For protecting you and your family against Lyme disease, perform a thorough inspection of the whole body and look through and in hair after coming in from the outdoors. This is especially important if you’ve been in grassy, bushy, or wooded areas, and places your local city or region have identified as risky for ticks.
Use a mirror or ask someone else to check your back and areas you can’t see easily. Don’t forget to look in creases at your joints and your armpits, as ticks may hide out and can be missed. If you do find a tick and you’ve removed it, make sure to look really closely at the rest of your body for any others. Keep in mind that finding one tick might mean there are others on your body or clothes, so be even more thorough as you do the rest of your check.