#tick safety

[westernmassposting]

one time i went to the urgent care/clinic in pittsfield with mild but persistent joint pain and the doctor was like “have you been in the woods at all in the last two months? ok here’s some doxycycline. am i gonna test for lyme? nah dude it’s safe to assume”

well thats wild. anyway psa it's tick season

This card is meant to be printed at 3.5" x 2.3", as wide as a standard business card.

[rangerpippin]

Please, please listen to this: I know it's not hiking weather for most people right now, but this needs to become a fact that sinks down into the collective consciousness.

Take tick safety seriously. No, actually do it. Everyone. You, reading this. Do the stupid, over the top, annoying tick safety steps. Do them.

I am not an outdoorsy person. I never go out in the woods. I live in an area where Lyme disease carrying ticks are supposed to be rare.

I went on ONE—one casual, leisurely nature trail walk with my friends who had gone dozens of times. We were back in three hours. We had fun.

I got bit by a tick. It took the usual month or so for Lyme symptoms to develop, and when they did I had almost forgotten the tick bite.

I got lucky. I had access to a doctor, they took me seriously and did tests, the Lyme showed up on the tests, and they listened to me further and ordered a 4 week course of antibiotics instead of 10 days.

I still had to go through weeks of bone-deep, strength-sucking fatigue, joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation, a low grade fever. Horrible brain fog that killed my ability to focus and almost ended up derailing my hopes of graduating on time.

Because I got lucky and got treated so aggressively and so quickly, I haven't had any further symptoms after finishing treatment. As far as I know, I was cured. This is not something to take for granted.

So, so often, Lyme doesnt show up on tests. So often, doctors will only prescribe a short course of antibiotics, which has been shown in studies to have unacceptably high rates of failure to adequately treat Lyme disease. If it is left untreated or improperly treated past the initial acute phase, it becomes much, much more difficult to eradicate. So, so often, people are left to deal with the lingering issues of untreated or improperly treated Lyme disease. Left to never getting back to being 100% healthy again. Ever.

I know that pants tucked into socks are a sensory nightmare. I know that you have zero intention of wearing long sleeves on your summertime hike in bajillion degree weather. I know that you don't want to hear me tell you to find a bug repellent that is effective for ticks for your stupid three hour nature walk. I know your friends are wearing shorts and t-shirts, and that I'm paranoid, and that you don't live in a state where this is an issue.

I had a good friend laughingly tell me, while I was still suffering with active symptoms, that she would rather get Lyme disease than tuck her pants into her socks. This wasn't meant to be as insensitive as it was, but it wasn't the implied dismissal of my then current and ongoing suffering that made me remember that remark, that made it sting as much as it did.

It was the implied echo of screamed warnings from someone who didn't know better and learned the hard way, bouncing unheard off soundproof glass.

Take tick safety seriously. Do the stupid, paranoid, uncomfortable, inconvenient steps. Do them no matter how casual or leisurely or informal your activity taking you into tall grass and other tick-prone areas are.

Because each time you don't, you're spinning the wheel, and if it lands wrong, you're risking having to manage an often debilitating condition for the rest of your life.

[hxney-lemcn]

Ok, I saw some concerning posts about ticks so I’m gonna make a small psa here about tick awareness and safety.

In the U.S. there are three common ticks, deer ticks, dog ticks, and lone star ticks. Deer ticks are the primary carrier of Lyme disease, but this doesn’t mean you’re safe if you’re bitten by the other two. Not only can they carry other deadly diseases, you are not completely safe from Lyme‼️‼️

IF YOU ARE BIT BY A TICK GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND GET TREATMENT FOR LYME! Even if you have to lie to the doctors and say you were bit by a deer tick instead of the other two!! It’s better to be safe than sorry.

If you see a tick embedded in you, do NOT squish it. Get tweezers and grab its head, not its body or feet. The diseases are carried in its bodily fluids so it’s dangerous. You also don’t want it to retract on its own because it can spit back into you (think of backwashing) and you’ll get whatever it’s carrying. So please don’t light a flame near it or whatever the hell crazy shit some people do 😭

Be careful out there andwear bug spray around your legs and feet if you can. There are hella ticks this year and I want everyone to be safe while having fun outside.

[monsterqueers]

Ok so I love all the tick awareness posts going around, but a lot of the advice is not feasible for everyone.

As someone who lives in a tick hotspot and works in the woods outside, ticks (and other biting insects) are a very normal and unavoidable part of life for some people.

For people who live like me and cannot simply do pitch perfect doctor recommended things always all the time, here is some harm reduction-esque advice;

Pants and lighter clothes are a great idea. They make ticks easier to spot and make them work harder to bite you. They aren't required, but they are useful.

Insect repellent does work. Use some on your lower legs/pants if its available. Its not as effective on ticks as it is on mosquitos, but it can help. Some repellents are great on ticks but not so much other bugs. Ive had luck with the usual 'off' brand name spray and a spray called cedarcide. Cedarcide did better than off for me, but it has a VERY strong nausea-inducing scent that not everyone can handle and you shouldn't go through wetlands with it on your boots. This isn't a rec just a report, do your own research, etc etc.

Avoid tall grass and brush, this often has ticks. They do not drop down from trees. If you avoid places ticks are likely to be it can help. Yes fuck lawn culture but theres a good reason some places mow the places people walk- less ticks. Consider doing that maybe.

Check for ticks periodically while outside, and do a more through check when you come inside. Hotspots are around the crotch, armpits, ankles, anywhere under clothes, any other 'folded over' parts of your body, and the scalp, but feel over as much of your body as you can. Changing out of your clothes when you are done being outside for the day is recommended.

Sometimes ticks manage to bite you. This is not the end of the world. Just get them off ASAP by pulling them off from the head. Don't do a twisting motion, just pull from as close to the skin as possible. Don't burn them off, pull them off still alive, THEN burn them or whathaveyou. Tweezers or the tick removers help but aren't strictly necessary. If its been on for less than 24 hours you are probably fine and don't really need to bother keeping the tick in most cases.

Treat tick bites with your preferred itch reducer if you want (calamine lotion, hydrocortisone, etc) and maybe some rubbing alcohol or other antiseptic if you're worried about infection. Watch the bite and your general state of being for a bit (~2 weeks) after.

A red raised bump from the bite is normal. Some people (hi!) react strongly to all insect bites and get inflamed and itchy at the site for days no matter what. This only becomes notable if the rash spreads strongly, makes a bull's eye shape, you exhibit other symptoms associated with tick borne illnesses or allergic reactions, or it seems to have become seriously infected. This is when you really want a doctor.

If you exhibit tick born illness symptoms, its also not the end of the world. Get to a doctor asap though- fast treatment is key. If you live in a high-risk state for certain diseases, better safe than sorry.

Tick bites happen, you usually don't need to panic about them. Keep an eye out and avoid them where possible, but if you can't just keep an eye out for symptoms and remove them asap.

[trunkards]

Trunkards #608. When you get back to nature, nature gets back to you.

© 2023 Rick Hutchins

[spoonful116]

Tick bites aren't just itchy, they can carry some nasty diseases!

Tick Diseases — Spoonful

Alt text for screen readers here I declared ticks my mortal enemies in high school when Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) near

[wausaupilotreview]

With more ticks comes a greater risk of individuals developing tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, Alpha-gal syndrome and anaplasmosis. That’s why researchers are encouraging people to know their facts and learn how to protect themselves from bites as they venture outdoors.

Tick bites are surging in the US this year. Here’s what to know.

[presencenews]

Understanding Ticks: Essential Facts You Need to Know

Introduction Ticks are small, blood-sucking arachnids that can pose serious health risks to humans and animals alike. Found across most of the United States, ticks thrive in warm, humid environments and are especially active during the spring and summer months. With rising concerns about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, understanding ticks is more important than ever. What Are…

Understanding Ticks: Essential Facts You Need to Know