Health Matters: Simple steps against ticks can reduce the risk of Lyme disease
Getting out and enjoying nature is a great way to improve our health and as the days continue to get longer and the sun sometimes shines there are more opportunities either to take exercise or simply experience the natural world. The potential benefits of experiencing nature for our health and wellbeing are great, but we do also need to be aware of risks and know how to reduce them.
Lyme disease is one risk, but there are straightforward ways to prevent the disease and reduce its impact. Lyme disease has probably been affecting people for thousands of years but was only properly recognised in 1975 in connection with infections near the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, USA which is where its name come from. It is a bacterial disease which is transmitted through the bite of ticks and is most common in wooded or grassy areas. The ticks can pass the infection from animals to humans.
Recent research from the Scottish Lyme disease and Tick-borne infections Reference Laboratory at Raigmore Hospital suggests that infections could be as much as five times higher than previously thought, with up to 850 cases a year in Highland.
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May is Lyme disease awareness month, and it is also a time when vegetation can be quite high and perhaps unmown. As we spend more time in the countryside and in areas inhabited by ticks, it is important that we are aware of the risk and how to prevent being bitten. We should also know how to check ourselves and our children for them so that we can remove them quickly and safely to reduce the risk of getting Lyme disease.
It is best to cover up as much skin as we can, making it more difficult for ticks to bite, for example wearing long trousers tucked in to socks and wearing long sleeves. Light coloured clothes may also help us to see ticks more easily and it is good to check clothing for ticks regularly, brushing off any that are found. Insect repellent containing the ingredient DEET can also deter ticks. Ticks can bite anywhere on the body, often in hidden places such as skin folds in adults and the head, neck and behind the ears in children. The bites are not always painful. It is also possible to have several ticks at once on different parts of your body.
If you have been bitten by a tick, you need to remove it as soon as possible. The best way to do this is with a tick removal device, which are available in many outdoor shops or pharmacies, or by using fine tipped tweezers. Try not to squeeze the body when removing it and, while it is attached, do not cover the tick in oils or lotions, and don’t try to burn it. After you have removed the tick, clean the area with an antiseptic wipe or wash with soap and water.
If you do get bitten by a tick and then develop a rash or feel poorly in the weeks following a bite you should seek medical advice. Most cases of Lyme disease can be successfully treated with a simple course of antibiotics.
We should be aware of the risks of ticks and Lyme disease but if we take care, we don’t need to let that spoil our enjoyment of nature.
Dr Tim Alison is NHS Highland’s director of public health and policy.
