A warning has been issued by the HSE in Great Britain about the dangers of Lyme disease, a warning that Americans should follow, too.
The HSE is urging Brits to take care when spending time outdoors. But not only that, they’re requesting that people regularly check their animals and take the following precautions:
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
- Boots or high-ankled shoes—especially in heavily wooded areas and in brush
- Use anti-tick spray on the body (but pregnant women should avoid if possible, or consider avoiding spray that contains DEET)
- Check skin – including the scalp, neck, under arms, and moist areas of the body where heat can accumulate, such as the groin area
- When finding ticks, use small pliers taking great caution to remove the tick at its head.
- If the tick’s head gets separated and remains in the skin, try to remove it entirely and then sanitize the area and monitor it. If bruising or swelling occurs, consult with a doctor.
- Also make sure to check animals such as dogs and cats and remove ticks, etc.
- Check indoor and outdoor furniture as ticks are voracious climbers
Lyme disease is definitely on the rise and it’s clearly something that you never want to get. Although it takes about 24 hours for a tick to latch on and feed on the blood of an animal (including people) the tick transfers the virus that then enters the bloodstream. Once people are infected and as the virus turns into a disease and progresses, it can attack the heart and brain – major organs and cause a host of issues.
And it is important that if you notice any swelling or bruising where a tick was removed, or if you’ve been outside and notice these symptoms days later, consult with your physician because it’s also possible that you were bitten and the tick fell off or was brushed off by clothing, etc.
