prevention of lyme disease
DESCRIPTION
Early symptoms of Lyme disease, usually in the first week after a tickbite, are headache, neck stiffness, fever, fatigue, and muscle and joint pains. Some patients also get a characteristic skin rash called a “bulls-eye” rash.TRANSCRIPT
Prevention of Lyme Disease
Dr. Peter Dobie
There are three aspects to prevention of Lymedisease
1) Avoid getting bitten by ticks
2) Remove the tick prompty, but in the correctmanner, if you get a tickbite.
3) See a Lyme specialist doctor and get started onantibiotics if you develop early symptoms of Lymedisease.
Early symptoms of Lyme disease, usually inthe first week after a tickbite, areheadache, neck stiffness, fever, fatigue, andmuscle and joint pains. Some patients alsoget a characteristic skin rash called a “bulls-eye” rash.
With proper precautions, Lyme disease can be easilyavoided. Here are a few tips:
• If you go hiking or walking on grassy or wooded areas,wear long pants instead of shorts and tuck the pants intoyour socks. Your clothes should be tight at the waist, wristsand ankles.
• If you are working in a garden for long periods of time oryour work site is near bushes, take a precautionarymedical check-up to detect any symptoms.
• Never use your bare hands to remove ticks. Instead use atool like tweezers. Wear gloves if removing with yourfingers & wash your hands thoroughly after removal. Byfailing to do this there is a high chance of being infected.
• You should give extra attention every day to hairy parts ofyour body because ticks generally attach to these areas.The scalp should also be washed properly.
• Lyme disease in Australia is quite widespread &considered to be an epidemic. Places like marshes,gardens, high grasses and beaches should be avoided. Donot spend time in tick infested surroundings or habitats. Ifpossible, cut down your recreational activities likecamping, hiking, forestry, landscaping and other activitiesclosely related to nature.
• At the end of your daily activities in dense bushes orgarden areas, remove all your clothes and properly searchfor any sign of the disease.
• Minimise the chance of infection by usingrepellents on skin & clothes and by coveringyour body with high quality guarding clothes. Ifusing repellents on skin, you should wash yourbody with soap and water at the end of the day.There are a number of sprays available whichcan be sprayed on clothes and act as tick andinsect repellent.
• It is highly recommended that you removethings like woodpiles and leaf litter where ticksmay develop. Keep your garden grass mowedand clear excess bushes. By using pesticides,you can kill ticks in large numbers.
If you need to find a specialist Lyme diseasedoctor you can search online. Sydney is home tosome of the most reputed doctors who can dealwith Lyme disease effectively. There is a vaccineavailable which is meant for people between theages of 16 to 70 years. This vaccine is consideredto be safe and effective for Lyme disease.
Thank You
Dr. Peter Dobie
Address: SUITE 3A, EDGECLIFF COURT, 2 NEW McLean ST, EDGECLIFF, NSW 2027
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02 9362 0493
Fax: 02 9363 0767