Could that Bump be a Lyme Disease Rash?

July 20, 2009

Summer is the season of nature walks, gardening, and outdoor play. However, summer also brings the arrival of something far less pleasant: a new generation of deer ticks. The bite of a single deer tick can infect you or your child with Lyme disease.

Nymphs, or baby ticks, are most active in May and June. Adult ticks are most active in October and November. However, ticks can be active as long as the temperature is above 35°F. This means that in some places, they may be active year-round. It is always important to be vigilant.

Many deer ticks live in dense woods with a lot of shrubs, small trades, and other vegetation. They can also be found in yards near dense woods; in birdbaths and birdfeeders; on pets; in piles of wood or brush; on fences made of stone or rock; on swingsets or treehouses in or near woods; and in other similar places. If you live or spend time in such areas, check for ticks when you come inside for the night.
According to the National Agricultural Safety Database (NASD), there are several ways of reducing the likelihood of a deer tick bite.

1. Wear light-colored clothing, which makes ticks easier to see.
2. Wear long pants tucked into your socks.
3. Avoid tall grass and areas with a lot of plants or shrubs.
4. When walking in the woods, walk in the middle of the path. This makes it harder for ticks to latch on to you.
5. Remove brush piles and keep your grass mowed.
6. Wear a tick repellent that contains an active ingredient like DEET.

Ticks usually spend 30-60 minutes on a human body before they bite. It can then take another 12-24 hours for them to give a human Lyme disease.

If you find a tick on your body, or on your child's body, remove it as soon as you can. Get it off by plucking it out with a pair of tweezers. Do not try to kill the tick while it is still on the body; chemicals may cause the tick to throw up, which could pass Lyme disease onto the person it is biting.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website explains that in 70-80% of infected people, a circular rash will appear at the location of the tick bite. The rash can occur 3-30 days after the bite, and it may grow
up to 12 inches. The middle of the rash may fade before the rest goes away, causing it to look like a bull's eye.

While the symptoms are different for each patient, they can also include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. More severe symptoms can occur if the Lyme disease goes untreated.
If you think you or your child may have Lyme disease, you should contact a doctor immediately. Only a doctor can make the diagnosis, and a doctor can make sure you get the medicine you need.

For help talking to your child about Lyme disease, be sure to check out DockRock's songs called Tick Facts and Tick Tock Tick.