Body Checks Are Critical to Early Detection of Lyme Disease

Reduce Your Risk of Lyme Disease is the second in a five-part series.  We will take a close look at how Ridgefield, CT, an area hit particularly hard by Lyme disease, suggests their residents protect themselves from tick bites to reduce their risk of contracting Lyme disease.  Each article will take a closer look at each of the letters in the acronym BLAST to find out how we can learn from our neighbors to the north on how best to protect ourselves. 

As you have probably heard by now, the Center for Disease Control has reported that as many as 300,000 Americans are being diagnosed annually with Lyme disease.  As we reviewed Ridgefield, CT’s Lyme disease prevention program in our previous blog post we talked the acronym:  BLAST. The town uses this word to educate the public on Lyme disease prevention and discovered that the “B” reinforces the need to bathe within 2 hours of spending time outdoors.  The second letter in the acronym is “L” we will discuss further its meaning and the importance of it.

The “L” in BLAST stands for “Look”.  Look your body over for ticks after spending time outside.  Don’t forget to also do a full body check on young children.  Curious kids who may play in wooded areas may be at an even higher risk of coming into contact with ticks.  Remember that some of the most dangerous ticks are quite small, the size of a poppy seed, and so a close inspection is necessary.  Ticks need approximately 24 hours on a person in order to transmit the disease to them so the sooner a tick is discovered and properly removed the better!

The Center for Disease Control tick removal steps suggests you use a set of fine-tipped tweezers to properly remove a tick.  We suggest you keep those tweezers in a handy spot in case a tick is discovered on your body.   You will want to access tweezers for removal as quickly as possible.  The CDC also warns that you avoid home remedies like using nail polish or petroleum jelly to make the tick detach from the skin.  Remember to place the tick with a dampened cotton ball into a plastic Ziploc bag.  You may choose to put the tick away in a safe place in case symptoms develop or immediately send the tick away to a New Jersey lab to be tested for Lyme disease.  

The “L” also stands to remind you to look your body over for the bulls-eye rash associated with Lyme disease known as Erythema migrans (EM).  Note that the rash can appear anywhere from 3 to 30 days after a tick bite and, according to the CDC, 70-80% of infected persons get the rash.  The bulls-eye rash will feel hot to touch and will typically expand over a period of several days reaching up to 12 inches in diameter.  Remember that an absence of a rash does not mean that you do not have Lyme disease. 

Speaking of the letter “L” also remember to be on the lookout for other early symptoms of Lyme disease which may include:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Fever
• Achy muscles and joints