Spring and summer are fun times to get out in nature. This is especially true for those who have been hibernating from the cold of winter. This year getting out becomes an even greater joy as we escape from COVID-induced sheltering at home. There is peace and renewal in walking through a beautiful natural landscape.
Beware. In those parks and woods lurk predators. Bloodthirsty attackers waiting for people to stroll past their hiding places.
Yes, I am talking about ticks. Little bugs that thrive on blood. They carry several important and consequential tick-borne illnesses. Two of the most notable are Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF).
Ticks live on high plants, bushes, and grasses. This includes the stems of such weeds as dandelions. A tick transmitting Lyme disease can be encountered in any of the 50 states. One can become infected with RMSF in most of the contiguous states. But it is mostly seen in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri. I have diagnosed a case of RMSF acquired in Illinois.
Let’s discuss Lyme Disease. The deer tick is the major but not the only one that can spread Lyme. The deer tick is in its nymph form when it attaches to a person’s skin. This tick-nymph is about 2 millimeters long. It is not very visible.
These ticks attach to the skin when someone walks through high grass or weeds. You can brush against a bush and meander away with a tick on you. You may have noticed that many sidewalks have bushes that overgrow them a little. You probably will not see the tick on you until it has become bloated with blood. 2-3 hours of carrying this traveler may have passed before it is readily visible. That is plenty of time for the tick to transmit the Lyme bug into your blood.
What to do? Prevent the skin contact. As we adjust our distance from other walkers and bicyclers, we may step onto the grass and rub against a dandelion or other weed shooting up from the ground. It’s too easy and often not even remarkable to touch a bush as we attempt to avoid it while ambling along next to a partner. It is, however, enough for the tick to gain a mouth hold.
Like it or not, the answer is clothing. Some may opine: “But I like to get some sun and a tan!” First of all, a “healthy tan” is an oxymoron. It might feel nice, but it’s not so good. It will help replenish Vitamin D, which is very important. But getting Lyme Disease really is no fun. I advise a Vitamin D supplement.
If you are out and about, wear long pants and long sleeve shirts. They should be white or very light colored without patterns to reveal any passengers you pick up. Nylon or other artificial fabrics retain some coolness next to the skin for hot weather. They also wick away moisture, so the perspiration does not build up. Artificial fabrics are naturally more sun blocking than cotton or wool because of the nature of the weave. Tuck the pants legs into your white socks. Inspect the clothing carefully for anything suspicious. It may be just a small dot. But it should stand out on that light background.
Treating the fabric with permethrin makes it repel ticks. This chemical also keeps away mosquitoes, flies, and bees. It comes in a spray. It’s a task. You need to cover your eyes, nose and mouth and stand upwind while spraying. Preferably cover all your skin as well during the application of permethrin. Once dried, it is totally harmless. It will last about 3 weeks unless you wash the clothing.
A better, albeit more expensive, option is to buy clothing that is infused with permethrin. The brand to look for is called “Insect Shield.” There may be others. This provides all the protection and lasts through 70 washings.
Lyme Disease causes joint pains, neurological problems, and cardiac arrhythmias. If you think you were bitten by a tick, I advise 6 weeks of an antibiotic called doxycycline. This is more than the usual medical recommendation. I spent many years treating patients with Lyme Disease who took only 2 weeks of this drug. Children should not ingest doxycycline at all because of the effects on the teeth and bones.
There is disagreement about whether there is a Chronic Lyme Disease Syndrome. I have seen hundreds of patients with this disease. I believe that it is an autoimmune reaction to exposure to Lyme. It causes a wide range of symptoms, from fatigue to cognitive problems to pain syndromes. At this time, there is no reliable diagnosis for this condition, so many doctors do not accept that it exists. It does and it is a source of misery to the many people who suffer from it. It is beyond the scope of this blog for me to detail successful therapy. I am working on a way to get that information out.
Avoid tick bites. Protect yourself. Be healthy. Someone who has any acute infectious illness is at greater risk from the COVID-19 virus. People with chronic debilitating illnesses, like the Chronic Lyme Syndrome, are also at increased risk for illness from the coronavirus.
Live a life of health maintenance and disease prevention. It’s a better way to be. It does not happen naturally. An active health lifestyle will optimally lead to a healthy life.
Health and Spirit by Dr. Jack Zoldan 