When summer rolls around, it brings with it the opportunity for doing a plethora of enjoyable outdoor activities, including hiking on wooded trails. With more time spent outside comes a higher risk of getting all sorts of insect bites, including tick bites. Ticks are most active from late spring to early fall and can transmit Lyme Disease.
Ticks are most active from late spring to early fall and can transmit Lyme disease. They like to hang out in shaded wooded and grassy areas, especially in places where deer like to roam. While these make ideal hiking places, ticks are most likely to hide out here.
Hiking in areas where there are likely ticks living can increase your risk of developing Lyme disease. So, at Integrative Medica, Jake Schmutz, NMD, Joshua Hersh, NMD, and the rest of our team want you to know how to prevent Lyme disease and how to recognize the symptoms should you develop it.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, with about 30,000 cases reported each year. It happens when ticks pick up a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi from mice or deer and transmit it to you through a bite.
If you do get bitten by a tick that’s carrying Lyme Disease, it usually starts out as a mild rash that fades; however, if it’s left untreated it can lead to complications that affect your heart, joints, and nervous system.
The rash can start anywhere from 3-30 days within the time of infection. It starts small and then it slowly grows in diameter and fades in the center, giving it a bullseye appearance.
Some other common signs of Lyme Disease include:
These symptoms all appear in the early stages of Lyme Disease. If this condition continues to go untreated, it can lead to symptoms like face paralysis, arthritis, brain fog, and areas of numbness (neuropathy).
If you plan to go hiking in heavily wooded areas this summer, here’s some preventative measures you can take to avoid getting bitten by a tick and potentially developing Lyme Disease:
If you do get any ticks on your clothes, throw them in the dryer for 15 minutes in order to kill them by drying them out.
If you’ve recently been bitten by a tick and you suspect that you have Lyme Disease, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as you can in order to keep it from becoming severe. Some treatments that we offer for Lyme Disease at Integrative Medica include ozone therapy, stem cell therapy, and IV therapy.
To set up an appointment with us at our Salt Lake City, Utah, office or one of our other offices to treat your Lyme Disease, you can give us a call at 801-676-9876 or book online with us today.
