May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and the Central Shenandoah Health District is reminding everyone to stay alert about the dangers of ticks when heading outdoors.
It only takes one bite. Ticks can be tough to spot, but they can cause serious health problems, including Lyme disease. Symptoms of Lyme disease can include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle stiffness and rashes. If left untreated, it can lead to more severe issues, such as facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat or arthritis.
Recommended Videos
Preparation is key, said Central Shenandoah Health District Health Director Xavier Crocket.
“We’ve seen cases of Lyme disease increase across the state of Virginia over the past five years,” says Xavier Crocket, Health Director of CSHD. “While ticks are part of our outdoor environment, preparing yourself can reduce the chances of being bitten by a tick, and prevent disease.”
So, how can you protect yourself? Health officials recommend the following tips:
- Use an EPA-registered insect repellent.
- Do not use any insect repellent on babies under 2 months old.
- When outdoors in tick habitats, use repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, 2-undecanone or oil of lemon eucalyptus on your skin or clothing. Always follow the instructions on the product label.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using products with no more than 30% DEET on children.
- Never use oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children under 3 years old.
- You can also treat clothing, socks and shoes with permethrin ahead of time. When used properly, it will kill ticks before they bite and can last through several washes.
When you’re in areas where ticks might be present, tuck your pants legs into your socks to help keep ticks from crawling onto your skin.
Once you come inside, check your clothes and toss them in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks that might be hanging on. Use a mirror or ask someone to help you check your body for ticks. Don’t forget to check your children, hiking gear and pets, too.
If you find a tick, don’t panic. Here’s what to do:
- Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure until the tick releases. Try not to break off the mouth parts or crush the tick’s body.
- Avoid methods like burning or suffocating the tick.
- After removal, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and hot water.
- Save the tick in a bag or container with rubbing alcohol in case you need it for identification later.
If you start to feel sick after a tick bite, contact your health care provider right away.
For information on the number of tick-related illness cases in Virginia, visit the Virginia Reportable Disease Surveillance Dashboard.