How is lyme disease prevented

Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Lyme Disease? And most people bitten by one of these ticks don't usually get Lyme disease because: Only a small number of these ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. An infected tick must be attached for at least 1—2 days to pass the bacteria.

Who Gets Lyme Disease? Besides living in one of these areas, other things that might increase your risk include: spending a lot of time outdoors in tall grass, brush, shrubs, or wooded areas having pets that may carry ticks indoors activities such as yardwork, hiking, camping, fishing, or hunting in tick-infested areas Can I Prevent Lyme Disease?

If you go into an area where ticks live, be sure to: Stay in the middle of the trail instead of going through high grass or the woods. Wear closed shoes or boots, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Tuck pant legs into shoes or boots to prevent ticks from crawling up legs. Use an insect repellent.

Consider treating your clothing and gear with permethrin to repel ticks. Wear light-colored clothing to help you see ticks more easily. Shower and wash hair after being outside to remove ticks before they attach. Remove any ticks you find right away. Good habits range from what clothing you wear, where you walk, and how often you check for ticks. A VOID areas where ticks live. Ticks thrive in wood piles, leaf litter, long grass, beach grass, bushy areas, stone walls, and perimeters where the lawn meets the woods.

W EAR light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily; long-sleeved shirt tucked in at the waist, long pants tucked into high socks, closed-toe shoes, and a hat with your hair tucked in, if possible. R EMOVE clothing upon entering the home; toss into the dryer at high temperature for minutes to kill live ticks. Putting them in the washer, however, will not. Feel for bumps paying close attention to the back of knees, groin, armpits, in and behind the ears, belly button, and scalp.

Check everywhere — ticks love to hide! Shower or bathe as soon as possible to wash away unattached ticks. If you find a tick, remove it quick! The longer it is attached, the more likely it will transmit a disease. Tick bite prevention is crucial for all members of your family, including pets. The risk to your dog of contracting Lyme or other tick-borne disease is on the rise. This increased risk to our pets means an increased risk to you and your family, as ticks target both ends of the leash.

If your pet, particularly dogs, goes outdoors they are at an increased risk for getting a tick bite. Post-Lyme disease syndrome can affect your mobility and cognitive skills. Treatment is primarily focused on easing pain and discomfort. Most people recover, but it can take months or years. Get a better understanding of post-Lyme disease syndrome.

The symptoms of post Lyme disease syndrome are similar to those that occur in the earlier stages. There is no evidence that Lyme disease is contagious between people. Also, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , pregnant women cannot transmit the disease to their fetus through their breast milk. Lyme disease is an infection caused by bacteria transmitted by blacklegged deer ticks.

There is also no evidence that Lyme disease can be sexually transmitted or transmitted through a blood transfusion. Learn more about whether Lyme disease is contagious. The progression of Lyme disease can vary by individual.

Symptoms of Lyme disease usually start 1 to 2 weeks after the tick bite. The rash occurs at the site of the tick bite, usually, but not always, as a central red spot surrounded by a clear spot with an area of redness at the edge. This rash will gradually fade in most people. The formal name for this rash is erythema migrans. Erythema migrans is said to be characteristic of Lyme disease. Early disseminated Lyme disease occurs several weeks to months after the tick bite. This stage of the disease is primarily characterized by evidence of systemic infection, which means infection has spread throughout the body, including to other organs.

Stage 3 can occur months or years after the tick bite. Diagnosing Lyme disease begins with a review of your health history, which includes looking for reports of tick bites or residence in an endemic area.

Your healthcare provider will also perform a physical exam to look for the presence of a rash or other symptoms characteristic of Lyme disease. Blood tests are most reliable a few weeks after the initial infection, when antibodies are present. Your healthcare provider may order the following tests:. Learn more about how to prevent Lyme disease when a tick bites you. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and rarely, Borrelia mayonii. Western blacklegged ticks transmit the disease on the Pacific Coast of the United States.

Ticks that are infected with the bacterium B. The infected tick must be attached to your body for at least 36 hours in order to transmit the bacterium. Most people with Lyme disease were bitten by immature ticks, called nymphs.

These tiny ticks are very difficult to see.