A month or so ago, my sister texted me that my niece had been bitten by a tick, and asked what she should do. I completely blanked! I admittedly told her that I didn't know for sure, and had to reach out to one of my Lyme Facebook groups for answers. With all that I know about chronic Lyme, I couldn't believe how much the basics of a tick bite evaded me. I guess it's because when I found out I had Lyme, I was well past the point of pulling the bugger out of me, so that wasn't ever information I needed.
But since we are in the midst of heavy tick season right now, I think it's important that everyone is aware of this ever-growing problem. Ticks that carry Lyme Disease and other infections are EVERYWHERE. Not just on the East Coast, not just in the woods - in every country, every state, and even in your very own back yard.
When I was little, I remember being warned about ticks. We were one of a few houses on a hill overlooking the town I grew up in, and the hill was covered in sagebrush. The word of caution was to wear pants and long-sleeved shirts in these areas. I didn't think much of it, though, because for all I knew, the worst that could happen was a bite from a little tiny bug. Big deal, right? Who wants to wear this type of attire in the hot summer months? Not to mention I, like most kids, thought I was pretty much invincible.
The first time I think I had even heard of Lyme Disease was when I watched the 1998 Real World Seattle. You may remember this season for the infamous “slap heard ‘round the world” when cast-mate Stephen opened the car door as his roommate Irene was leaving the show, to slap her in the face. Over the course of the season, Irene talked about having Lyme Disease. I recall the show portraying her as a crazy person who happened to have an illness. But I still didn’t really know what Lyme Disease was, and probably never gave it another thought until I was diagnosed with it 16 years later.
Since that diagnosis back in 2014, awareness for Lyme has increased tenfold. Which is great, but unfortunately I think it's because there are so many of us who have been diagnosed, or have a friend or loved one who has been. And the epidemic is only getting worse. So I'm doing my small part in an effort to keep others from learning about Lyme the hard way, by doing a little more educating. I did a little extra research to learn the basics about tick bite prevention and care, and here is what I found:
Preventing Tick Bites
1. Create a tick-free zone around your house.
- Keep your lawn well-manicured
- Create a barrier if your lawn is up against tall grass or brush
- If your yard is prone to deer visits, take measures to rid your environment of these cute little creatures who could be bringing in not-so-cute little insects.
2. Enjoy the outdoors safely.
- Avoid exposure in wooded, overgrown areas.
- Stay on marked trails when hiking.
- Stay out of tall grass
3. Protect yourself and your family, including your pets.
- Wear protective clothing: long sleeves, pants tucked into socks, avoid going barefoot or wearing open-toed shoes.
- Use insect repellent: there are even products designed specifically for ticks!
4. Perform tick checks often.
The risk of getting Lyme disease is greater the longer a tick is attached. Therefore, doing tick checks is important so they can be removed before they transmit any disease. Removing within 36 hours of attachment greatly reduces the risk of infection.
- Shower daily.
- Check your entire body, but pay special attention to crevices: underarm, navel, groin, buttocks, etc. Ticks can be as small as a pinhead (or poppyseed!), so look closely!!
What do I do if I've been bitten?
1. Remove the tick...carefully!
- Use pointy tweezers (not flat ones). Something like this on Amazon is perfect: Tickease Tick Remover on Amazon
- Grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible.
- Pull straight up. Be patient. The tick's mouth is covered with barbs, so removal can be time consuming.
- Once removed, wash the wound site and your hands.
- Some say to save the tick, to be tested for disease if necessary (keep reading for more on this!).
And here's what NOT to do when removing the tick: Do not twist, squeeze or crush the body of the tick. There are also a lot of "tricks" online that you should not try because they could agitate the tick and cause it to infect more fluid into your skin - using nail polish, essential oils, a hot match, Vaseline. alcohol....or any other "hot" tips you see online - don't do it!
2. Observe.
- Observe the bite site over the course of the next few weeks for any sign of an expanding rash. Many people think that it's just a bullseye rash to look out for. While this is the classic tick rash, this is not always what it looks like. They are often round or oval, enlarging in size, red and sometimes warm.
- Pay attention to other symptoms too! Particularly if there are any flu-like symptoms that arise (low-grade fever, aches, chills, fatigue etc). Some people will develop symptoms like this and NO rash. The symptoms can also occur up to a month after being bitten, so continue to be vigilant in watching for symptoms!
What do I do if I think I've been infected?
1. Go to a doctor!
This is the tricky part, because not all doctors are created equally. Some of them will tell you that Lyme disease does not exist in your area. Others will have no clue how to treat. Above all else, trust your gut! If you think you need a 2nd opinion, then get one!
2. Start a course of antibiotics ASAP.
I'm not an advocate of antibiotics by any means. Taking them can really screw up your gut flora and cause some long-term problems. But in this case they are pretty vital, and the sooner you take them, the better. If you are lucky enough to know that you were bit (70% of people with Lyme don't recall this instance) or if you catch the symptoms right away, chances are pretty high that the antibiotics will take care of the virus.
The length of time to take the antibiotics seems to be very controversial. Most of what I read notes a course of, at the very least, 28 days. But a better success rate comes from taking them closer to the 6-8 week mark. Keep in mind, many doctors will tell you that taking 2 weeks of antibiotics - regardless of when you contracted the disease - will cure you. This is not the case!
3. Get tested for Lyme Disease
It can take a few weeks for the illness to show up in your blood, so if you test negative and still feel sick, consider retesting. It's probably best to wait until you are 3 or 4 weeks in to get tested, if you are suspicious of still being infected.
You must also be aware of the kind of test you take. Standard lab testing for Lyme disease misses more than 50% of all positive cases. Case in point - the first two that were ordered for me came back negative. My diagnosing doctor ordered an IGeneX test, which is the most common. I've had several doctors since then tell me that I have one of the most positive tests they've ever seen, if that tells you how poor standard blood work can be. The most affordable test is the Western Blot - test numbers 188 and 189 - which runs approximately $250. I've also been hearing a lot about DNA Connexions, which I've read may be even more reliable at catching co-infections as well. Here are links on both:
https://igenex.com
https://dnaconnexions.com/
4. You can also send in a picture and/or the actual tick to get tested
If it looks like the tick had time to feed, you can upload a picture to TickSpotters.org. You should get a response within 24 hours from their pros with the assessment of risk based on the photo identifying your tick and your location.
For extra assurance, attach the tick to an index card with some clear tape, or submerse it in rubbing alcohol to kill it, then place in a sealed plastic bag. There are a number of places you can mail your tick into, where they will test it and email you a report about any bacteria or viruses it's carrying. A few sites to explore if you're interested in this process is tickcheck.com or tickreport.com.
The Truth about Transmission
Lyme is considered by the medical field to “only” transmit by way of a tick infected with bacteria. However, we now know that is not true. The disease can be carried by other insects - like mosquitos, spiders, and flies. But even scarier than that is the fact that Lyme can be transmitted from human to human. For one, Lyme Disease can be sexually transmitted. It can also be passed gestationally. Thus, it’s extremely common for entire families to be infected.
The worst part is that there are so many people in the world who don’t even realize they have Lyme, and could be unknowingly passing it to someone else.
There are a multitude of reasons for this ignorance. First off, there are way too many doctors who don’t believe Lyme exists in certain parts of the country. Either that, or they do realize it, but are too scared to practice Lyme care because of the stronghold big pharma & the CDC has on the industry, and the impending threat of losing their license for doing the right thing.
Another reason is because some cases lie dormant, meaning some may have the disease, but no apparent symptoms. Sometimes it takes a "trauma" - physical or emotional - for the symptoms show up. For me, it was after I had my gallbladder removed, which was a full 3 years after I was infected.
And the worst reason of them all is that Lyme, as the “great imitator,” often shows symptoms that are mistakenly diagnosed as something different altogether. You may remember in one of my earliest posts noting how Dr. Alan MacDonald, who is known for finding the Borrelia (Lyme) DNA in 7 out of 10 postmortem Alzheimers patients’ brains, says that he has never had a single patient with ALS, Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis who tested negative for Borrelia (the Lyme spirochete).
The CDC itself admits that Lyme is under-reported, and believes there are between 300,000 to half a million new cases each year. This obviously doesn’t count the people who are completely unaware they have it. And that makes Lyme disease almost twice as common as breast cancer and six times more common than HIV/AIDS. It’s a real and scary epidemic, people! We must be vigilant in our awareness.
This year's tick season is predicted to be the worst we've seen in years. So as you are getting ready to go camping this summer, or taking a hike in the woods, or even when you are working and playing in your back yard - be prepared, be watchful, and be proactive. Take it from me - these tiny little bugs can ruin your life in a big, big way.
