It’s great to get out and about, walking is an enjoyable and healthy activity but there are some things you need to be aware of. Late spring, early summer and the autumn is a peak time for tick bites and Public Health Wales are reminding people about the risks.
While the Lyme disease is on the increase it is still pretty rare but it is still worth taking basic preventative measures. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is carried by ticks, when ticks feed on your blood the bacteria can pass into your body and cause serious infection. The good news though is that most ticks do not carry the Lyme disease bacteria and as long as you know what to look out for it can be dealt with using anti-biotics.
Ticks are small insects about the size of a poppy seed, if you have been bitten by a tick these are some of the symptoms you need to look out for.
- a slowly expanding rash that spread out from the tick bite – it could be circular with a clear centre
- tiredness
- headaches
- aches and pains in muscles and joints
The rash itself tends not to be painful or itchy and will disappear of it’s own accord over a few weeks.
How do you prevent or reduce the chance of being infected by Lyme’s disease?
The best way is to regularly check for ticks feeding on your body. If you can spot them and remove them relatively quickly then you can prevent the bacteria entering your bloodstream. If you manage to remove the tick within 24 hours of it first attaching to you then the chances of the bacteria having entered your bloodstream is very low. Remove the tick by using thin nosed tweezers, grip the head as close to the skin as possible and gently pull the tick away from the body to prevent the mouth parts from detaching. If you are a regular hiker then you can buy specialist tick removal kits from vets or pet supply shops.
How to prevent tick bites
Obviously preventing ticks from biting is much better than dealing with the consequences or removing them. The best ways to stop ticks from biting you are;
-
cover up – wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts. tuck your trousers into your socks
-
wear light coloured clothing as it makes it easier to see ticks before they get to your skin
-
if you are walking with your dog then check it does not bring ticks into the home
-
check your hands and arms if you stoke livestock such as horses
-
use insect repellents to discourage ticks
-
when you finish your walk double check your clothes and body for ticks so you do not take them home
While I’m happy to use chemical insect repellents on clothing such as trousers and outer-socks I’m a little more careful about what I spray on my skin if I’m wearing shorts or short sleeved shirts, so I tend to use an aromatherapy insect repellent if i spray directly onto my skin.
I use a fine mist spray holder with distilled water with some essential oils. The recipe I prefer and usually use is
-
90 mls distilled water
-
15 drops Citronella
-
10 drops Lavender
-
10 drops Eucalyptus
-
5 drops Lemongrass
Always try and use a good quality essential oil for best effect. You can also use a massage oil base if you want and rub the oil onto your arms and legs.
Getting infected by a tick is still a very rare occurrence and not something you need worry about if you take some very basic precautions.
photo credit: NIOSH
