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It'll soon be summertime and the livin' will be easy if
you remember these hints to avoid the hazards of the season.
Ticks and Lyme disease go hand in hand and, while not all
ticks carry diseases, avoiding ticks is the best way to
avoid Lyme disease. To avoid ticks, be aware of their
habitat--tall grasses and brushy areas. If you're going
walking in the woods, wear light colored clothing so you can
easily spot ticks if they hop on you. Wear long sleeves,
long pants tucked into socks, and a hat. When you get home,
wash your hiking clothes in hot water to kill any ticks that
might hide in seams. If you discover a tick on you, use a
tweezers, not your fingers, to remove the tick. Grasp it as
close to your skin as possible, pulling back firmly and
slowly. Try not to crush the tick's body. Wash the area with
soap and water. Put the tick in a jar for identification if
necessary.
If a rash or pustule develops at the site of the bite,
contact a UI Family Care physician immediately, or call UI
Health Access, 800-777-8442 or 319-384-8442. Lyme disease is
a bacterial, multisystem inflammatory disease that affects
the skin in its early stages and spreads to the joints and
nervous system says Michael Jurgens, M.D., UI Family Care
physician at the Southeast Iowa City site. If caught early,
Lyme disease is almost always readily cured. Most people who
get lyme disease may not recall either a tick bite or a
rash.
The best treatment for poison ivy is to avoid it. Learn
to recognize the plant. "Leaves of three, let it be" is
excellent advice. Wear long pants and long sleeves when
walking in the woods.
If you come in contact with poison ivy, wash your skin in
cool water like a stream, lake, or garden hose, being
careful not to contaminate other areas of the body. When
possible, take a cool shower, using soap to gently clean the
affected area. Wash your clothes in hot water to deactivate
the urushiol, the substance that causes the reaction. The
skin begins absorbing urushiol upon contact so the sooner
you can wash it off, the less severe the reaction will be.
"If you get a rash, over-the-counter medications such as
hydrocortisone creams and antihistamines can help relieve
some of the symptoms, while calamine and menthol lotions are
good at relieving the itch," says Jurgens. If signs of
infection occur, or you have poison ivy on your face,
contact a UI Family Care physician to determine if a
prescription is necessary.
When it comes to insect bites, mosquitos are common
culprits and it's difficult to avoid their signature bites
that produce localized allergic swelling and itching. There
are a plethora of over-the-counter repellents available to
combat these pests. The best protectors contain DEET.
Permethrin containing insect repellants may be used on
clothing as well. Be sure to use the repellents as often as
directed on the product label. If swimming, remember to
reapply the repellant when you come out of the water. Wear
loose-fitting long pants and long-sleeved shirts and try to
stay indoors at dawn and dusk when the pests are most
active. Avoid areas of stagnant water because stagnant water
is a breeding area for mosquitos.
"When you do get bit, the best thing to do is also the
hardest--don't scratch. Some home remedies include making a
paste of water and baking soda and putting it on the bite or
rubbing bath soap on the bite. Over-the-counter
hydrocortisone creams may also help reduce the irritating
itch," says Jurgens.
For More Information
Listed above are several Web sites that offer additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI
Health Access.
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