15. Did you know, after being outside, take all clothing off and do not co-mingle them with other clothes that need to be washed? If you do not plan on washing the clothes immediately put them in a large sealed plastic bag until they can be washed. Be sure it is tightly sealed since ticks can crawl out if not sealed properly. 16. Did you know if you place your clothes in the dryer immediately on very hot temperature for at least 15 minutes this will kill the ticks? Do not wash your clothes first since washing clothes may not kill any ticks on them. Ticks can live up to 2 -3 days in water. 17. Remember those 6 most important words to help prevent Lyme Disease are Tick Check, Tick Check, Tick Check! Don’t forget the nymph ticks are the size of a speck of dirt or poppy seed. 18. Did you know ticks look for warm spots on your body to engorge? Check all warm spots on your body including but not limited to neck, behind ears, in the hair, under arms, behind knees, groin area and back. Remember they numb the area and also will use an adhesive to glue themselves on. 19. Did you know it’s important to Immediately take a hot shower and wash your hair? Any tick not fully engorged will most likely come off at this time. Be sure to carefully check small children. A bath or shower and washing their hair are all important aspects of prevention. 20. Do you know the proper way to remove a tick? It is imperative you remove an engorged tick quickly and save it in a small bottle or baggie that is tightly sealed. Do not try home remedies that actually allow the tick to remain under the skin while the remedy starts to work. Use tweezers or a tick removal spoon. Grab tick firmly from behind, apply pressure and pull the tick straight up and out. Be absolutely sure you have removed the head since the bacteria is in the saliva glands and could continue to seep into the blood stream. Ticks may be sent to the health department or the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station to be tested. 21. Did you know that your pets can get Lyme Disease as well? There is a vaccine available for dogs. This vaccine will at least limit the systems of the disease.There are also repellents available. Check with your Vet to help decide what will work best for your dog. There are clothing items such as bandanas and vests treated with Permethrin that can be used on your dog. Check your pet before they come inside. This can be as debilitating a disease for them as it is for us if not taken care of immediately. 22. Be sure to monitor yourself or children for any immediate or later symptoms and notify the doctor. Though a bull’s eye rash is a key symptom of Lyme Disease it only occurs 40% of the time. And only 30-40% of the people every see the tick that bit them. In addition, 60% of the people that have Lyme Disease have a co-existing tick borne illness as well. When testing is performed, ask for the tests to include other common tick borne illnesses. |
