Treat yourself and your clothes before heading out on a hike,
and
you won’t come home with ticks and Lyme disease.
“To avoid getting Lyme disease, you have to avoid being fed
on by
ticks,” said Nancy Hinkle, an extension entomologist with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. “Hunters and hikers are the most commonly affected, due
to their exposure to the outdoors.”
Insect repellents best defense
The best line of defense, Hinkle recommends, is buying and
using
insect repellents.
“Repellents that contain DEET as the active ingredient are
effective on skin, but make sure to read and follow directions,”
she said.
Some repellents aren’t safe for use on skin. And never spray
repellents on mucous membranes such as around the nose and
mouth.
After you spray your exposed skin, it’s time to spray your
clothes.
Spray your clothes, too
“For clothing, use a repellent with Permethrin as the active
ingredient,” Hinkle said. “It’s important to use this on clothing
only, as it’s dangerous to your skin.”
Lay your clothing out on a newspaper. First spray one side,
and
then flip the clothing over and spray the other side.
“Let the clothes dry overnight and put them on the next
morning
to be sure not to irritate your skin,” Hinkle said. “Hunters,
hikers and campers should always treat their clothes before
spending time outdoors.”
They don’t fall from trees
One common myth about ticks is that they get on humans and
animals by falling down from trees. Ticks usually live on the
ground or no more than 6 inches above it, Hinkle said.
“They attach to the ankle and crawl up, crawling as high as
they
can before biting,” she said. “So the most important places to
check after coming indoors are around the ears and hairline.”
It is also important to check your socks, waistband, underarms
and in natural body folds.
Remove ticks carefully
Once you’ve found a tick, don’t just grab it and pull it
off.
“A tick is like a balloon stuck on a hypodermic needle,”
Hinkle
said. “Squeezing a tick may inject disease agents into your
body.”
She suggests using fine-tipped tweezers to remove the
tick.
“Use the tweezers to get close to the skin, grasp the tick’s
mouthparts, and then pull it off,” she said.
Contrary to popular belief, don’t pull the tick from
the “balloon
end,” burn it or rub petroleum jelly on it, Hinkle said.
“This will upset the tick and cause it to release infectious
bacteria into your body,” she said. “You want to work with a
happy tick. Don’t worry if the mouthparts are left in your skin.
It’s just like having a briar stuck in your skin.”
Sterilizing the area surrounding the bite should prevent
infection.
Make sure to check your pets, too.
“Dogs can get Lyme disease,” Hinkle said. “It’s hard to notice
when your pet is sick. But if you see arthritis in a single joint
or a young pet acting lethargic, have the vet check it out.”
