Lyme Disease: Take it Seriously
Thirty years ago when a handful of children from the little town of Lyme, Connecticut were first identified with a mysterious form of arthritis it was not considered to be an important public health problem, but that’s changed. Lyme disease is more than arthritis, and it’s not just in Connecticut. It’s a national problem, it can be a serious and debilitating disease and the numbers of cases are increasing at alarming rates. The culprit: a tiny predator, smaller than a freckle known as the black- legged tick or the deer tick. |
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Symptoms
Patients with Lyme disease can develop a variety of symptoms; fever, chills, headache, joint and bone pain just to name a few, but the presence of large, red, expanding, bulls-eye rash is the number one, unmistakable sign and should serve as a clear and loud alarm that immediate medical care is needed.
With early diagnosis and early treatment the disease can be more successfully treated and can avoid those later stage complications that can be very costly and debilitating.
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Lyme Disease In CT
The epicenter of this public health threat is right here in CT and anyone who lives, works or plays in areas where infected ticks are present is at risk of getting Lyme disease. The good news is that our health department as well as other state and national agencies have been collecting data in our community for almost two decades and we now can report, with some measure of certainty, some very simple and strategic steps you can take to reduce you risk of infection.
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All About Ticks
Ticks are very different from mosquitoes because they're going to be attached to you for several days. They're a long-term parasite, whereas mosquitoes are kind of hit and run. Ticks will attach to any part of the body, often looking for warm moist areas or places where clothing comes in contact with skin, like collars and waistbands and they are perfectly designed to attach to and feed on an unsuspecting victim without ever being noticed.
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| These nasty blood suckers accomplish this by secreting a cement like substance so they won’t fall off, injecting an anesthetic to keep you from feeling any pain, an anti-coagulant to keep your blood flowing and an anti-inflammatory so you won’t itch or develop a welt. So the best way to level the playing field against this tiny foe is to check for ticks every day and if you find one remove it promptly and properly because most ticks won’t transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease until the third day. |
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Tick Removal
Proper tick removal is also very important. Use a good pair of tweezers. If you use your fingers you could accidentally rupture the tick gut and release the bacteria into the wound. After you remove the tick and clean the wound put the tick in a tightly covered vial or jar and bring it to the health department and we will have it tested to see if it is infected. (Live ticks are easier to test and the results are available sooner. To keep the tick alive adds a few blades of grass to the container to provide the needed moisture).
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Tick Habitats
Our data reveals most people get Lyme disease right in their own back yard and those who spend the most time out of doors are the ones at the greatest risk. Not surprisingly more children get Lyme disease than any other age groups so we must be especially vigilant to insure their safety.
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Ticks hate sunlight so put the swing set and picnic table in an area of your yard that gets plenty of sunshine.
To learn more about creating a “tick safe” backyard visit the health department’s “Target Lyme Disease” exhibit at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center or visit The Stamford Health Department on the 8th Floor of Government Center (click for directions) and we will be happy to give you some very helpful materials.
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