Blog vol 4. 1. A great party, no ticks invited.
Have I ever told you about the wonderful staff and colleagues that I work with? We get along so well at work that we also like to play together. Burlington Eyecare has an annual Spring outing and this year we went out to Roger and Mary’s (two of our excellent opticians). Their gardens are lovely, the hospitality so warm and welcoming, and the games and food excellent. We had a lovely afternoon and all came, even the toddlers. We had highly competitive Bocce and Spike Ball matches, then sat and enjoyed each other’s company and jokes (still have work to do on my Afrikaans:).
The time in the outdoors reminded me that it is time for my annual tick alert. Lyme disease is preventable. You REALLY. DON’T. WANT. IT. Many myths exist about Lyme disease so beware of what you think you know; for the long list go
here.
First, did you know that the deer ticks that carry the spirochete can survive in the cold? Cold, especially extreme cold, does reduce the number of ticks but does not eliminate them.
Second, and this one is concerning, there is no “gold standard” for testing for Lyme disease, meaning that you can have the disease and test negative for it. The signature “bull’s eye” rash of Lyme disease also may not show.
PREVENTION, PREVENTION, PREVENTION. The number of deer ticks and the spirochete are on the rise in southern Ontario, as is the incidence of Lyme disease.
Broken record time, lest I repeat myself, again, but this really matters, so...
1. Bug spray can help, at least 20% DEET, but remember that if a tick is there, it is there, you still have to check.
2. Check, every time you or your little ones go outside: make tick check a habit.
3. If you detect a tick, carefully remove it, getting the mouth, then clean the site with alcohol. If you are not sure when you contracted the tick, better to be safe and get a round of antibiotics from your GP.
Really it boils down to a tick check, there is no other way. And that is it, highly preventable, but make a quick check a habit.
By all means get outside, no worries, when you come in take off your shoes, quick check, done.
‘til next week,
the good doctor
