Lyme Disease Awareness Month

May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, but ticks don’t watch the calendar—they can show up any time temperatures rise. The best way to prevent Lyme disease in yourself and others is to understand proven prevention methods, recognize early signs and symptoms, and know what to do if you spot a tick. The Global Lyme Alliance, a leading 501(c)(3) dedicated to Lyme disease awareness and prevention, estimates there are about 900 new Lyme disease cases each day, including roughly 200 cases in children. 

As the weather warms up across the country, the risk of tick bites increases. Ticks can be found in many places—from your backyard to the playground, and even on pets. When you’re outside, stay vigilant and check your skin and clothing for hitchhikers. If you plan to be in brush, tall grass, or wooded areas, consider wearing long pants tucked into socks or boots, long sleeves, and a hat that covers your head and hair. Light-colored clothing can also make it easier to spot ticks before they attach. 

After you come indoors, do a thorough tick check. Use a mirror (or ask someone to help) and inspect hard-to-see areas where ticks like to hide, such as behind the ears, under the arms, around the waist, between the toes, and in the hairline and scalp. If you find a tick attached, remove it as soon as possible. Using clean, fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as you can and pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Avoid twisting or jerking the tick, and don’t use “folk remedies” (like petroleum jelly, nail polish, or heat) to try to make it detach. 

Even with preventive steps, Lyme disease can still occur. After a tick bite, early symptoms may appear 3 to 30 days later. Watch for fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, swollen lymph nodes, and an expanding rash at the bite site (often called an erythema migrans rash; it may look like a “bull’s-eye,” but not always). Because early Lyme symptoms can mimic the flu, it’s important to seek medical advice promptly if you develop a rash or fever in the days or weeks after a tick bite. 

Lyme disease isn’t limited to people who spend lots of time deep in the woods—ticks can be picked up during everyday activities, so it should be on everyone’s radar this spring and summer. Consider learning which tick species are common in your area and reviewing local prevention recommendations so you can protect yourself, your family, and your pets more effectively.