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As The Mercury Rises so does the Risk of Contracting
Lyme Disease
The sound of the ball off of a baseball bat, the sight
of trees blooming and the smell of backyard barbecues
all bring back happy sensations of the end of the winter
and the start of warm weather. However, along with these
friendly signs generated by the mercury rising comes
something not so welcome - Lyme disease.
During this warmer weather time, the dangers
of contacting Lyme disease become increasingly ever-present,
as new research shows that warmer weather and a higher
moisture content lead to a higher increase in infected
tick populations.
Symptoms of Lyme disease can range widely and include
migraines, partial paralysis, joint pain, cardiac trouble,
overall malaise and much more. In some cases, patients
can become paralyzed and/or comatose. Lyme disease is
a multi-system disease which can affect virtually every
tissue and every organ of the human body.
Last year, more than 19,000 cases of Lyme disease were
reported in the United States. Experts estimate the
number to be more than 10 times that amount, or 200,000
cases - five times the rates of new AIDS infections.
Many physicians often misdiagnose the disease for other
illnesses since the symptoms often mirror other medical
problems such as Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus or Alzheimer's disease.
The disease is predominately transmitted by deer ticks
that live in areas with long grass, shrubs, trees and/or
underbrush. Activities such as camping, hiking, golfing,
fishing and off-road biking are just a few of the many
activities that put people at risk.
Suburban and rural home areas are also very susceptible
to the disease as housing development causes fragmentation
of forests, fostering a population explosion among white-footed
mice, the other main carrier of the disease-causing
bacteria.
The mice themselves are harmless, but blacklegged ticks
feed on the rodents and can transmit the bacteria to
humans. And the researchers found that in smaller forest
patches, as many as 80 percent of the ticks were infected.
If you plan on spending time or living in these areas
you can minimize your chances of catching the disease
by taking some of the following precautions:
- Wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants and tuck
pant legs into your socks
- Wear light shaded clothing as it makes it easier
to spot a tick, although they are as tiny as the size
of a poppy seed when in the "nymph" or beginning
stage
- Use an insect repellent containing the chemical
DEET or Permethrin
- Inspect yourself and your children once you come
back inside. Remove any ticks promptly. Ticks usually
have to be attached to your skin for 24 to 48 hours
to transmit the disease. If you see a tick, use tweezers
to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible
and pull back firmly. Wash the area with soap and
warm water.
This information was provided by Turn the Corner Foundation,
which is solely dedicated to raise money for the support
of research, education, awareness and innovative treatments
for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The
Foundation's goal is to establish new standards of excellence
in the medical treatment of all persons with Lyme disease
through research by Lyme disease literate physicians.
We cannot achieve our objectives without your support.
If you are interested in helping us in this fight against
Lyme disease please visit us at www.turnthecorner.org/donate-to-fight-lyme-disease/
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