How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
news.harvard.edu
How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
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Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#2> Lyme disease is transmitted by the deer tick, also known as the blacklegged tick. Other ticks, such as dog ticks, can transmit other illnesses, but not Lyme disease.
I've grown up dealing with all sorts of ticks, deer and dog, and I never realize that the latter did not actually carry Lyme disease!
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#3> Lyme disease is transmitted by the deer tick, also known as the blacklegged tick. Other ticks, such as dog ticks, can transmit other illnesses, but not Lyme disease. I've grown up dealing with all sorts of ticks, deer and dog, and I never realize that the latter did not actually carry Lyme disease!
Yeah, it's unfortunate that the biggest, easiest to spot ticks are the ones that are mostly harmless, and the tiny elusive sons of bitches are the ones that carry a chronic disease.
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#4Something to note for anyone in Lyme disease range: The bullseye is the stereotypical sign, but it is not necessarily going to show up 100% of the time. When I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in ~Y2K New Jersey, I had the bullseye rash, and the doctor called in the nurses to look at it because he had never seen one before, despite diagnosing a lot of people with Lyme disease.
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#5Something to note for anyone in Lyme disease range: The bullseye is the stereotypical sign, but it is not necessarily going to show up 100% of the time. When I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in ~Y2K New Jersey, I had the bullseye rash, and the doctor called in the nurses to look at it because he had never seen one before, despite diagnosing a lot of people with Lyme disease.
Hard logic dictates maybe the other diagnoses were something else.
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#6It says to use DEET? No. Use permethrin (on clothes) and picaridin (on self).
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#7Just go to your PCP and get your one time course of 2 doxycycline pills as soon as you get bitten.
I also spray my hiking/yardwork pants and boots with permethrin. DEET is pretty useless, I’ve seen them walk right over DEET sprayed boots onto my pants. They make it about 5 steps through permethrin. I’m surprised advise from Harvard is getting this wrong.
If you want even more protection, you can buy stocking like slacks and a shirt specifically made for this purpose on Amazon. I wear these when I’m weeding or clearing brush.
All the above methods haven’t failed me in 5 years.
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#8Something to note for anyone in Lyme disease range: The bullseye is the stereotypical sign, but it is not necessarily going to show up 100% of the time. When I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in ~Y2K New Jersey, I had the bullseye rash, and the doctor called in the nurses to look at it because he had never seen one before, despite diagnosing a lot of people with Lyme disease.
I've had it three times as a kid and the most recent one didn't produce a "bulls eye" rash. I knew what it was by then and went to the doctor, symptomatic, telling them that I had limes, but they hadn't seen it before and told me I had the flu.
I got a second opinion with blood work that came back positive for limes.
So if you have "the flu" symptoms around a time you were had been running around grassy area where limes is a thing, ask for blood work.
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#9[deleted]
Re: How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
#10Something to note for anyone in Lyme disease range: The bullseye is the stereotypical sign, but it is not necessarily going to show up 100% of the time. When I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in ~Y2K New Jersey, I had the bullseye rash, and the doctor called in the nurses to look at it because he had never seen one before, despite diagnosing a lot of people with Lyme disease.
I've had it three times as a kid and the most recent one didn't produce a "bulls eye" rash. I knew what it was by then and went to the doctor, symptomatic, telling them that I had limes, but they hadn't seen it before and told me I had the flu. I got a second opinion with blood work that came back positive for limes. So if you have "the flu" symptoms around a time you were had been running around grassy area where li…
It's "Lyme disease," named after Lyme, Connecticut (which, in turn, gets its name from Lyme Regis in England). Not "limes," that's a fruit.