Tag Archives: removing deer tick

Even Ticks have a Fall Season



ticksFall is here! It’s time to start putting away yard equipment, watch the kids participate in outdoor sporting events or a stroll through the many scenic parks or wooded neighborhoods throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and New York. It’s also tick season. Yes, even they have a season.

Early to late spring and fall are the times when ticks emerge looking for a blood meal. The tick most often associated with Lyme disease is the deer tick, though all ticks can carry a number of other diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Deer ticks are small, about the size of a pinhead, making them difficult to find once attached. Other ticks such as the dog tick and the Lone Star tick are larger, but can infect you more quickly than the deer tick.



Lyme disease ticks waiting in the bush

Ticks are found in low-lying brush, grass or shrubs, and will attach to the unaware host as he or she walks by. Ticks crawl upward on their host until they reach an impediment to their progress that they cannot overcome. Common areas of attachment are behind the knee, groin, waistline, armpit, or scalp. They attach by piercing the skin with a mouthpiece after secreting an anesthetic from their salivary gland. Attaching pain free, in an out of sight area is how the ticks avoid detection. Once attached, blood is siphoned from the host, mixed in the tick’s mid-gut and the tick regurgitated back into the host. The tick may need to be attached for up to 24 hours for the person to be infected, but it can occur even within a few hours.



Caution when removing deer tick

It is important that when a tick is removed that it is not crushed or burned. It should be grasped firmly by its mouthpiece with a forceps and pulled out. If part of the mouthpiece remains in your skin, consult with a physician for further removal. There is no effective means of immediately identifying an infected Deer tick from an uninfected one at the time of removal. The onset of symptoms can vary and may be delayed. It is currently recommended that all patients who have a Deer tick bite should receive preventive antibiotic therapy, so taking a wait-and-see attitude before reporting it to your family physician can be dangerous.



rashLyme disease symptoms

Lyme disease symptoms are divided into two distinct stages called Early and Late disease. Early localized disease often starts with flu-like feelings of headache, muscle and joint and neck stiffness, low-grade fever and fatigue. Less than 80 percent of patients develop an Erythema Migraines rash or “Bulls Eye” rash. This rash is proof of Lyme disease and always occurs at the bite site. It appears anywhere from 3 days to 3weeks after an exposure, expands outward from a clear center with red outer border and may or may not be accompanied by other symptoms. This rash typically lasts 2-4 weeks and disappears on its own. While a physician can confirm a case of Early Lyme disease with this finding, it is the least common type of rash that occurs with Lyme disease! Taking a picture of the rash before it disappears is extremely important in helping your physician to make an accurate diagnosis.



Symptoms associated with Early and Late Lyme Disease are Bell’s Palsy, tingling sensations of the upper and lower extremities, severe headaches, problems with short term memory, diminished concentration and speech disturbances. Other complaints may be visual disturbances, neck stiffness, cardiac or pulmonary complaints, chronic fatigue, insomnia, depression or anxiety issues.

Lyme testing



Testing for Lyme disease is traditionally performed using two tests called the ELISA and Western Blot. When positive they can confirm a case of Lyme disease, but they can be negative in up to 7 out of 10 patients who are truly infected. There are newer tests such as the C6 Peptide ELISA for Lyme disease and PCR, a genetic test, which can assist the physician in making the diagnosis in more difficult to diagnose patients. (See Accurate Lyme Diagnosis)

Fortunately, the Haverford Wellness Center under the direction of Domenic Braccia D.O. is dedicated to the accurate diagnosis and reasonable treatment of Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases. Dr. Braccia, and the sof the Haverford Wellness Center are fully equipped and capable of managing aspects of Lyme disease and the other tick borne diseases from prevention and management of early disease to the complex diagnostic and therapeutic cases. These cases include treatment failures, and late stage Lyme disease patients who have been ill for many years.



Protect Yourself from Tick Bites



Avoid areas with a lot of ticks

  • Ticks prefer wooded and bushy areas with high grass and a lot of leaf litter. These are very common in the Wilmington, Delaware area. These are areas to avoid.
  • Take extra precautions in May, June, and July. This is when ticks that transmit Lyme disease are most active.
  • If you do enter a tick area, walk in the center of the trail to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaf litter.
  • Ask your local health department and park or extension service about tick infested areas to avoid.

Keep ticks off your skin



  • Use insect repellent with Permethrin to prevent tick bites. It can be purchased at outdoor equipment stores that carry camping or hunting gear. Permethrin kills ticks on contact! One application to pants, socks, and shoes typically stays effective through several washings. Permethrin should not be applied directly to skin.
  • Wear long pants, long sleeves, and long socks to keep ticks off your skin. Light-colored clothing will help you spot ticks more easily. Tucking pant legs into socks or boots and tucking shirts into pants help keep ticks on the outside of clothing. If you’ll be outside for an extended period of time, tape the area where your pants and socks meet to prevent ticks from crawling under your clothes.

Check your skin and clothes for ticks every day

  • Remove ticks from your clothes before going indoors. To kill ticks that you may have missed, wash your clothes with hot water and dry them using high heat for at least one hour.
  • Perform daily tick checks after being outdoors, even in your own yard. Inspect all parts of your body carefully including your armpits, scalp, and groin. Remove ticks immediately using fine-tipped tweezers.
  • If a tick is attached to your skin for less than 24 hours, your chance of getting Lyme disease is extremely small. But just to be safe, monitor your health closely after a tick bite and be alert for any signs and symptoms of tick-borne illness.

If you suspect Lyme disease it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis and Lyme treatment started right away.



We recommend Sawyer’s Insect Repellant



tick-repellantInsect repellant for ticksSawyer not only repels insects, it actually kill ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, mites and more than 100 other kinds of insects. Sawyer repellents are for use on clothing, tents and other gear only. A single application will remain effective for up to six weeks, even if you wash the garment once a week.

Visit the Sawyer website for more information or to purchase



 

 



Domenick Braccia

Domenick BracciaMedical Doctor at Haverford Wellness Center
Domenick Braccia, D.O. is the Medical Director of Haverford Wellness Center. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare, Dr. Braccia is a graduate of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed a Family Practice Residency Program at Delaware County Memorial Hospital. Successful treatment of Lyme disease is a professional challenge for Dr. Braccia, using both traditional and non-traditional therapies, to offer the best possible treatment outcome. Dr. Braccia provides patients with the best clinical Lyme research as well as his personal philosophy of treating “the whole person.”