Check Yourself…

We've all heard about Lyme disease, and we all know that we should be careful when we're running around in the grass & parks & fields in the summer months.  But, of course, I just read about another thing to worry about called Babesiosis.  Very similar to Lyme, some ticks can also carry this too, and this one is much harder to detect.

So what can you do to be careful to avoid tick bites?  Well, for starters everytime you come home from one of your excursions in the 'wild' of the northeast that could harbor ticks, you need to check yourself.

Daily tick checks need to be routine and you literally need to check everywhere!  Use mirrors if necessary as ticks are incredibly tiny & hard to see.  Check underarms, groin, navel, back of the neck, behind knees, between toes, behind and in ears, and on the scalp.

And what to do if you actually find one?  If a tick is found, use fine-pointed tweezers to grasp it close to the skin and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or yank it. Then clean the area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.