What You Should Know About Lyme Disease
BY PGF
1 year, 6 months ago
Summer is fast approaching and with it four-legged critters become more of a threat to humans but they aren’t the only thing in the woods that can harm you.
In our last article, we discussed general aspects of those tiny but problematic arachnids: ticks. Perhaps the most well-known disease transmitted by ticks is Lyme Disease.
Spring and Fall are seasons that ticks are commonly known to bite humans. The most well-known disease passed by ticks to humans is known as “Lyme disease.” Lyme disease was unknown until about 1975, where it was first diagnosed in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut. Since then, Lyme has become the most common tick-borne illness in the Northern Hemisphere, so common that May is officially Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
Lyme Disease is caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Another species, Borrelia mayonii, has also been shown to also cause the disease. Both are carried by Ixodes scapularis, also known as the blacklegged or deer tick, in the East, upper Midwest, and all the way down south to Texas. The western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) can be found all along the Pacific coast. Ticks are responsible for more than Lyme disease; they’re also responsible for transmitting babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and other infections.
In settings where winters are milder and acorns abundant, the population of animals that ticks like to feed upon increases. These include mice, a favorite of baby ticks, and deer, popular targets for adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are estimating many tens of thousands of Lyme cases in humans per year (three times the number reported 20 years ago).
One time while hiking, I picked up nine ticks. As I approached a shoulder-high grassy field, I thought better of entering it for several reasons, but the whole hike, something about the place was deeply bothering me. There are places in Tennessee where you should only go if you live there. Even the people who grow up here know that if it seems like a place you shouldn’t be, well, you shouldn’t. I only hiked a bit and stayed on a known trail, but somehow, I was covered in the American Dog Tick (Wood Tick). Nasty creatures, and a very disappointing hike as I wanted to establish knowledge of the area. I entered the area previously from the other end of the trail, went so far, and wanted to see the rest of the route on a single-day venture by entering from the other end. The lesson was, that area would not fit within the purposes I needed; maybe it was a success after all.
The article covers prevention, symptoms, treatments, and other tick-borne diseases.
On May 22, 2023 at 9:05 pm, James said:
While probably not good for long term usage due to losing effectiveness on Marthas Vineyard where me mum used to live Lyme was a big problem, and the locals handed out Doxycycline like Halloween candy,even thought the bite was deer tick you just popped a couple and hoped for best.
They treat usually folks who have it hard in their system for 90 days but the protocol that seems to work is a minimum 180 days.
I met a lot of folks there who had it long term,some not so bad off some with debilitating joint pain.
I never really researched any “alt med” treatments as me mum died and no longer visit the island.
On May 22, 2023 at 11:01 pm, BRVTVS said:
This is one of the reasons why it’s important to hike with a staff, A staff allows to to push or knock weeds out of your path in overgrown sections, avoiding a major source of ticks.
On May 22, 2023 at 11:43 pm, Dan said:
Mosquitos are by far the most dangerous insect to humans…but ticks can give them a run for their money. The list of diseases that ticks can transmit to humans is almost enyclopedic. When out in the woods it’s best to do everything possible to avoid being bitten. The same advice applies to any dogs along for the adventure.
On May 23, 2023 at 7:16 am, Tuner said:
I live in Tennesse, just south of the Kentucky line. For the last four or five years the tick population has increased tremendously, especially the smaller versions. i pulled nine attached ones off my legs Sunday, and I was mostly in bare dirt while I worked the garden. You can’t avoid them.
On May 23, 2023 at 9:24 am, No Room For Commie said:
Saw one on my leg the other day after a hike through the woods and flicked it off, too hot right now for long pants but the socks can be pulled up even if it looks nerdy.
Plenty of vibrant diverse diseases coming across the border in the spirit of egalitarian equity without all the four legged vectors.
Ever seen those nanotech looking robo-mosquitoes?
They’ll be used as well as the food supply for distributing the next not-a-vaxx.
On May 23, 2023 at 9:48 am, xtphreak said:
“…something about the place was deeply bothering me. There are places in Tennessee where you should only go if you live there. Even the people who grow up here know that if it seems like a place you shouldn’t be, well, you shouldn’t. …”
Situational Awareness.
Intuition.
If you feel uncomfortable, there’s most likely a reason.
Maybe your conscious mind hasn’t alerted you to the cause, but your sub-conscious has picked up on something.
A subliminal sound.
A slight scent.
Something camouflaged in the shadows of the trees / alley that isn’t moving to alert you, but the shape is gathered by your peripheral vision at the edge of your vision.
The rods in your retina are so sensitive they can respond to a single photon striking them.
Pay attention!
If your intuition, gut instinct, nerves, whatever you want to call it alerts you… best to pay attention to it.
Practice situational awareness.
Keep your eyes moving, scanning (motion is detected most readily by the rods in your retina, concentrated for peripheral vision especially at night).
Do Not stare down at your smartphone screen (looking a light ruins your night vision).
Listen to your environment, do not rock out to the latest album in your earbuds while in an insecure place, wait until you’re home behind locked doors.
If you’re uneasy, don’t ignore it.
If you don’t want to avoid the situation, at least step up your preparedness level.
Be prepared.
Be armed.
On May 23, 2023 at 9:51 am, xtphreak said:
I should have said “Do Not stare down at your smartphone screen day or night.”
I was thinking at night, but in the daytime as well.
Pay attention to your surroundings!
On May 23, 2023 at 10:56 pm, Latigo Morgan said:
Nylons will keep ticks from grabbing onto your legs. Yeah. Yeah. It’s isn’t a queer thing, it’s preventative.
On May 23, 2023 at 11:43 pm, Beast5 said:
Consider going to a naturopathic doctor if you suspect you’ve contracted Lyme disease. If you do the courses of antibiotics, you’ll likely end up still having it and also a wrecked gut. Anti parasitics often work better than antibiotics. The herbal remedies can be gentler and more effective than rounds and rounds of antibiotics. Of course, YMMV.
On May 24, 2023 at 6:53 am, SamlAdams said:
Oldest daughter picked up a case. Caught early, but Doxy goes through the system like Sherman through Georgia. Freaking dog had a case. Went into renal failure. Doc thought it was age until blood panels came back. Now have a $6k dog, but she’s a sweet mutt. We spend summers on the island to the east of MV. Tick checks have been mandatory since kids were little. Mostly stay out of the brush. Pull wood ticks off the dog all the time.
On May 25, 2023 at 10:09 am, Latigo Morgan said:
“There are places in Tennessee where you should only go if you live there. Even the people who grow up here know that if it seems like a place you shouldn’t be, well, you shouldn’t.”
I’ve heard that about the Land Between the Lakes area.
On May 25, 2023 at 6:56 pm, Madmarc said:
I got bit by a deer tick a few years ago, it was on my leg for about 3 days before I noticed it, as it started to itch pretty bad.
I kept it, had my doc send it out to the lab, it came back positive for Lyme disease. I had no symptoms of any kind, so I wonder how many people are actually immune to Lyme.