Lyme disease is caused by ticks. What makes this hard to avoid at times, especially if you happen to reside near a wooded area is the fact that it is generally the immature ticks that are thought to spread the infection and given their small size, they are harder to spot. What is troubling is the fact that when left unchecked, Lyme disease can spread to your bone joints and cause inflammation, thereby leading to arthritis.
There are a few things that you can do when it comes to Lyme disease prevention, and that is to avoid getting bitten by ticks. However, there are a few proactive measures you can take, which should enable you to avoid getting bitten by ticks and avoid Lyme disease altogether.
1. Black-legged ticks
This is one of the most common carriers of Lyme disease; they often reside in heavily wooded areas and generally prefer humid conditions. And if you happen to reside in such a location, you may want to avoid the thick, wooded areas.
2. Repel ticks
Various products have been proven to repel ticks. These products happen to be FDA approved; you can use several tools online to search for effective products that can help you repel ticks effectively.
3. Check for ticks daily
It is important that you use insect repellents in your home, which can help keep the ticks from infecting your home. But despite all these precautions, you must perform daily tick checks, to ensure that you continue to remain safe from Lyme disease. You may want to check under your arms, around your ears, back of the knees, around the back of your knees, around your belly button, and the rest of your body. You may want to keep an eye out for fresh tick bites, in which case, you need to consult your doctor right away.
4. Remove the tick
If a tick has attached itself to your skin, you would need to get rid of it right away. You can use your tweezers to remove the tick effectively from your outer skin. It should be noted that if the tick had been attached for less than a day, then chances of you getting Lyme disease are quite rare.
5. Be alert
When it comes to Lyme disease prevention, you would need to familiarize yourself with some of the common symptoms. You need to be generally alert, and if you do develop Lyme disease symptoms, then you need to approach your doctor right away so that he/she can treat you for your current condition.
6. Use a chemical agent
You can use certain chemical agents around your residence as this should help keep the ticks at bay.
These are some of the measures that you can undertake to prevent Lyme disease; and if you are experiencing some of the symptoms, then it is vital that you seek immediate medical attention as it can cause you to develop painful and debilitating arthritis.