Lyme Disease: Arm Yourself With the Facts

Apr 12, 2018 Lyme Disease

***This Is A Legit PSA***

Dear loved ones,

Happy spring! When most people think of spring the images of flower buds bursting through the earth often comes to mind…warmer temperatures, longer days, and the dismal grey colors of winter melting into the vibrancy of Spring.

The other reality that comes with spring is the resurgence of ticks and the threat of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. Now before you pop off this post and dismiss it as me getting on my familiar soapbox, please hear me out.

It’s time for WAY more education and much less fear. Get outside. Be healthy. But be educated and know what to do…

Here are the facts:

  • 300,000 cases of Lyme will be diagnosed this year and yes, mostly in the Northeast (This is twice the number of cases of breast cancer)
  • 63% of these people will have lingering symptoms after treatment
  • Nearly 40% will go on to have Chronic Lyme or Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome 
  • Only 20% of Lyme patients ever get the infamous “Bullseye”.  Do not assume you’re safe if you see no bullseye  
  • If a Bullseye appears, play the lottery 😉 (Bad humor)
  • It is believed that almost 50% of all ticks in the Northeast now carry tick-borne illnesses
  • The most current research is now showing that Lyme disease can transmit in as little as 2 hours of having an attached tick. Do not assume the old 24/48 hour rule to be true. It’s just not.
  • Most Lyme-literate doctors prescribe 3 weeks of the antibiotic, doxycycline, to effectively treat Lyme. Anything less is risky.
  • It is not actually deer bringing the ticks into your yard and into your house. It is MICE. 

What to do if you find an attached tick:

  • The best thing to do is remove the tick at the head using pointy tweezers only. The use of oils to ’smother’ the tick cause the tick to actually eject its toxins into your bloodstream. 
  • SAVE THE TICK! Let me repeat…SAVE THE TICK! Send the tick out to be tested. This is the most effective way to find out if you are at risk. Lyme tests on humans are still very inaccurate. But testing the tick is fairly clear-cut. 

Resources:

Thank you all for taking the time to read through this! While it is a crappy topic, it is important to know what to do. So much suffering can be prevented if ticks are handled properly from the beginning. 

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