How to Avoid Lyme Disease

Tread Safely: Enjoy Nature, Prevent Lyme Disease

With the first day of summer just around the corner, you’re probably planning fun getaways and trips into the great outdoors. The last thing you want is anxiety around an infectious tick bite hampering your hiking trip. If you happen to already have Lyme disease: at our clinic, we provide Lyme disease treatment, chiropractic work, and a number of other services that can help you live a healthy, happy life. Get in touch with us here for an appointment, and read on to learn more about how we work with tick-borne illnesses. Ideally though, you want to avoid it altogether:

1. Wear Protective Clothing: 

If you’re going to be hiking or walking through a forested area, be sure to wear protective clothing that covers your arms and ankles. Long socks, hiking shoes or boots, breathable long sleeve shirts or pullovers, and sturdy hiking pants will help so much. It can be tempting to hike in your Tevas or Chacos, be wary that if you do, you have no safeguards from harmful tick bites. You can find lightweight, breathable options at most sporting goods retailer, such as Pack Rat here in Fayetteville.

2. Check Yourself:

You may not feel a feel tick bite when it happens, so it’s important to thoroughly check yourself if you’ve been hiking, camping, or walking through areas with tall grass. Use a full-body mirror to check easy-to-see areas, and use a hand mirror to check more difficult areas such as under your arms and behind your knees. If you took pets along, be sure to check them thoroughly as well.

3. Remove Ticks Quickly: 

Don’t panic if you do find a tick on your body. Remove it as soon as possible by using fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to its head as possible. Make sure that you use slow movement and even pressure in order to avoid breaking the tick off at the head. After you’ve removed the tick, save it in a bag and bring it to our office for Lyme testing.

4. Watch Closely for Lyme Disease Symptoms

If you’ve been bitten by a tick, it’s important to watch for the most common signs and symptoms of Lyme disease. Some come on early, and some develop later, but most of the symptom can seem like they are stemming from unrelated problems. It is only when we look at the symptoms as whole that we can really get a clear picture of the disease. These complications are part of what make Lyme disease so hard to diagnose correctly.

Early Symptoms (3 to 30 Days)

• Fever

• Chills

• Headache

• Chronic fatigue

• Aches and swollen joints

• Inflamed lymph nodes

Later Symptoms (30+ Days)

• Severe headaches and neck pain

• Arthritis and joint swelling

• Facial palsy

• Muscle and tendon pain

• Dizziness and shortness of breath

• Inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord

• Short-term memory impairment

While these later symptoms are severe, they can be treated if the disease is caught in the early stages. Come to Ozark Holistic Center for a personalized care plan if you are experiencing any of these symptoms after being bitten by a tick. We believe you when you say you have Lyme disease, and we will take you seriously.