Ticks
Let's face it, it's a scary thing to have someone's head lodged in your skin! Due to climate change, ticks are relatively new to the Ottawa region. But for people who live in places where ticks are common, being bitten by ticks is much like being bitten by mosquitoes or any other insect; never appreciated, and usually more annoying than serious. Regardless, it's important to know what to do and what not to do if you're bitten by one.
Disclaimer
We are not experts on the topic of Lyme disease, and we are not healthcare professionals. We are passionate outdoors people choosing to live a life out on the land nearly every day of the year despite the risks of Lyme disease. We know people who have been bitten by ticks, and people who have had Lyme disease. We have been bitten by ticks ourselves, but far less often than you would think considering how often we're out on the land. Many parents feel the long-term physical and mental health risks of keeping their children indoors outweighs the risks of Lyme disease. You need to weigh the risks for yourself. Reduce the anxiety and empower yourself by getting educated and being prepared.
Summary: Get Educated. Be Prepared. Check Often.
If there's just one message you take away with you, it's the importance of checking yourself and your children for ticks after a day out on the land - and that includes your local park or backyard. Evidence suggests that the risk of Lyme disease gets higher the longer the tick stays attached to you, so regular tick checks should become part of your daily routine.
At Nature Connections, we feel the risks of urban life and a life spent indoors outweigh the risks of Lyme disease. Mosquitoes are considered the most deadly animal in the world (yes, insects are animals!) and that doesn't prevent most of us from going outside to enjoy the summer sun. We encourage you to get informed about tick bites and Lyme disease and weigh the risks for yourself.
At Nature Connections, we feel the risks of urban life and a life spent indoors outweigh the risks of Lyme disease. Mosquitoes are considered the most deadly animal in the world (yes, insects are animals!) and that doesn't prevent most of us from going outside to enjoy the summer sun. We encourage you to get informed about tick bites and Lyme disease and weigh the risks for yourself.
Did You Know?
Ticks and Lyme disease isn't new, but few of us in Ottawa have ever heard of them until recently. Lyme disease is present on every continent on Earth (except Antarctica). There is even evidence that the ancient "Ice Man" Otzi had Lyme disease, and he died 5,300 years ago! (And that's not what killed him)
Dress for Success
There are ways to dress that reduce the risk of getting bitten by a tick. Dressing in this way also helps reduce possible scratches, scrapes, pokes, prickles, sun burns, and bites from other insects! For best tick-prevention practices, consider:
- Light coloured long pants tucked into socks
- Loose long-sleeve shirt tucked into pants
- Closed-toe boots or shoes
- Insect repellent sprayed on clothes, chemical or natural
Tick Checks: Just Part of the Regular Routine
Whether you've been outside with us on the land, or have simply gone to play in a nearby park or backyard garden, it's best practice to get in the habit of checking yourself and your children for ticks when you get home every day or before bed. Before you get in the car or come inside, take 15 seconds to quickly brush your hands over your clothes. A quick check at home only needs 5 minutes or less, and is probably the most important step in preventing Lyme disease. It's important to take a look all over you or your child's body, but remember those easily overlooked tight-and-comfy places including:
- Under the arms
- In and around the ears
- Inside the belly button
- Back of the knees
- In and around the hair line
- Between the legs
- Around the waist
What If You Get Bit By A Tick?
Step 1: Take a big breath. Don't panic.
Your risk of developing Lyme disease after being bitten by a tick is lower than most people would think. To be safe, remove the tick as soon as possible - but do take the few extra minutes to calm down and educate yourself on how to remove ticks properly! Once you've taken out your first tick successfully, it is so much easier to remove a second one without the anxiety (we know from experience).
Step 2: Learn to take ticks out correctly.
There are a few ways to take ticks out with the least possible risk of contamination. Doctors recommend using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grasping firmly around the neck and head of the tick (NOT the body) as close to your skin as possible, and pulling upwards while stabilizing the skin around with another hand. The tick will not want to let go, so you will need to be firm. Alternatively, there are several types of tools made specifically for removing ticks in outdoor stores (MEC, SAIL, Canadian Tire, etc). At Nature Connections, we have good experience with using the Trix TickLasso found at MEC.
*Note: There are many videos on the internet suggesting such "easy" methods such as fire, alcohol, nail polish or petroleum jelly. If a method supposedly encourages a tick to come out by itself, don't do it. You're more likely to make the tick vomit in agony into your skin, possibly dislodging itself, possibly burrowing deeper, and possibly dying in the process. Yuck.
Step 3: Monitor for symptoms
If classic Lyme symptoms arise (see Common Symptoms below), consult your doctor. Unfortunately, antibiotics are currently the only doctor-approved treatment for Lyme disease. Antibiotics are often prescribed as a preventative measure even before symptoms of Lyme arise. Some people also choose a number of herbalist recommended herbs that boost the immune system as a preventative measure before resorting to antibiotics. Use your own best judgement in the case of preventative measures (no Lyme symptoms). In the case of Lyme disease symptoms, take the antibiotics if your doctor recommends them. Healing from Lyme, post antibiotics, is all about following up with a good regime of probiotics, good food, plenty of rest, reducing stress, and generally taking care of yourself.
Your risk of developing Lyme disease after being bitten by a tick is lower than most people would think. To be safe, remove the tick as soon as possible - but do take the few extra minutes to calm down and educate yourself on how to remove ticks properly! Once you've taken out your first tick successfully, it is so much easier to remove a second one without the anxiety (we know from experience).
Step 2: Learn to take ticks out correctly.
There are a few ways to take ticks out with the least possible risk of contamination. Doctors recommend using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grasping firmly around the neck and head of the tick (NOT the body) as close to your skin as possible, and pulling upwards while stabilizing the skin around with another hand. The tick will not want to let go, so you will need to be firm. Alternatively, there are several types of tools made specifically for removing ticks in outdoor stores (MEC, SAIL, Canadian Tire, etc). At Nature Connections, we have good experience with using the Trix TickLasso found at MEC.
*Note: There are many videos on the internet suggesting such "easy" methods such as fire, alcohol, nail polish or petroleum jelly. If a method supposedly encourages a tick to come out by itself, don't do it. You're more likely to make the tick vomit in agony into your skin, possibly dislodging itself, possibly burrowing deeper, and possibly dying in the process. Yuck.
Step 3: Monitor for symptoms
If classic Lyme symptoms arise (see Common Symptoms below), consult your doctor. Unfortunately, antibiotics are currently the only doctor-approved treatment for Lyme disease. Antibiotics are often prescribed as a preventative measure even before symptoms of Lyme arise. Some people also choose a number of herbalist recommended herbs that boost the immune system as a preventative measure before resorting to antibiotics. Use your own best judgement in the case of preventative measures (no Lyme symptoms). In the case of Lyme disease symptoms, take the antibiotics if your doctor recommends them. Healing from Lyme, post antibiotics, is all about following up with a good regime of probiotics, good food, plenty of rest, reducing stress, and generally taking care of yourself.
Comparison: Common Symptoms
Often called the "great imitator", Lyme disease looks a lot like a lot of other common health problems. Below is a comparison of common risks and symptoms for Lyme disease, Candida overgrowth, and a life spent indoors. Personally, we prefer to deal with the risk of Lyme disease and continue having magical experiences out in nature rather than spending our lives indoors where many similar symptoms result from that lifestyle choice. You need to weigh the risks for yourself.
Lyme Disease Early Symptoms:
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Symptoms of a Life Spent Indoors:
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Candida Overgrowth & Food Sensitivities Symptoms:
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Lyme Disease Facts
Lyme disease, or Borrelia Burgdorferi, is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. There are over 40 different species of ticks in Canada, and very few of these species carry Lyme disease. The most common carrier is the blacklegged deer tick, Ixodes Scapularis, and not all blacklegged deer ticks carry Lyme disease (Photo shown above). The nymphs hatch from the eggs uninfected, but can acquire the bacteria from the small rodents on which they pass their first stage of feeding (we are eternally grateful for the barn cats in doing their jobs!). The tick then lies in wait for a larger animal: a deer, a dog, or you. Due to variations in local tick populations it is hard to predict the risk percentage in any area.
Early symptoms may occur anywhere between 3 to 30 days later. Rashes occur in 60-80% of cases, according to the CDC. Not every person gets the classic "Bulls Eye Rash", and if you do get the rash it may not appear as a bulls eye. Other common symptoms include: fatigue, fever, neck stiffness or pain, jaw discomfort, muscle pain, joint aches like arthritis- typically in the knees, swollen glands, memory loss, cognitive confusion, vision problems, digestive issues, headaches and fainting . It targets inflammation in joints and nerve tissue, taking advantage of existing conditions like candida, arthritis, and congenital predispositions, like nerve problems. If not treated Lyme disease can cause more serious complications that can last years and include recurring arthritis and neurological problems, numbness, paralysis and, in very rare cases, death. That said, even late stage Lyme is treatable with the right medical attention. Lyme is usually easily treatable with antibiotics, and catching it early reduces the severity and length of post-treatment symptoms.
Early symptoms may occur anywhere between 3 to 30 days later. Rashes occur in 60-80% of cases, according to the CDC. Not every person gets the classic "Bulls Eye Rash", and if you do get the rash it may not appear as a bulls eye. Other common symptoms include: fatigue, fever, neck stiffness or pain, jaw discomfort, muscle pain, joint aches like arthritis- typically in the knees, swollen glands, memory loss, cognitive confusion, vision problems, digestive issues, headaches and fainting . It targets inflammation in joints and nerve tissue, taking advantage of existing conditions like candida, arthritis, and congenital predispositions, like nerve problems. If not treated Lyme disease can cause more serious complications that can last years and include recurring arthritis and neurological problems, numbness, paralysis and, in very rare cases, death. That said, even late stage Lyme is treatable with the right medical attention. Lyme is usually easily treatable with antibiotics, and catching it early reduces the severity and length of post-treatment symptoms.
Personal Experiences with Lyme
There is a difference in how medical doctors and alternative doctors view and treat Lyme disease. Friends and loved ones with firsthand experience with Lyme have typically had the best results by consulting both their medical/family doctors AND an experienced naturopath in the area. Friends and family with Lyme found that in many cases the tests done in Canada came back negative and were told they did not have Lyme. At the moment of writing this, the best and most accurate tests for Lyme disease are analyzed in California, and a naturopath can get this done for you at a price of about $400 for the test (a price well worth it if other avenues fail). Receiving test results from California confirmed the reason for the unexplainable symptoms, and they were then able to return to normal life by getting the proper diagnosis and medical attention.
When our loved ones were able to catch Lyme symptoms early and were treated with antibiotics, Lyme symptoms simply went away with few/minor side effects. Loved ones with chronic Lyme weren't able to catch it early and were later misdiagnosed with a variety of other diseases that medications couldn't help. For these people, the California analyzed tests proved invaluable. Treatment often included both antibiotics and naturopath-recommended basic changes in lifestyle and diet. These changes always included taking better care of themselves in a busy world.
Having loved ones in our lives dealing with various stages of Lyme - from treatable and early cured to chronic and advanced - we still choose to live our lives out on the land every day because, for us, the risks of a life spent indoors still far outweigh the risks of Lyme disease. Life is a journey full of risks, and you get to decide what's right for you.
When our loved ones were able to catch Lyme symptoms early and were treated with antibiotics, Lyme symptoms simply went away with few/minor side effects. Loved ones with chronic Lyme weren't able to catch it early and were later misdiagnosed with a variety of other diseases that medications couldn't help. For these people, the California analyzed tests proved invaluable. Treatment often included both antibiotics and naturopath-recommended basic changes in lifestyle and diet. These changes always included taking better care of themselves in a busy world.
Having loved ones in our lives dealing with various stages of Lyme - from treatable and early cured to chronic and advanced - we still choose to live our lives out on the land every day because, for us, the risks of a life spent indoors still far outweigh the risks of Lyme disease. Life is a journey full of risks, and you get to decide what's right for you.
Further Reading & Resources
We highly recommend reading this article by the Child & Nature Alliance regarding their approach to ticks: http://childnature.ca/what-can-we-do-about-ticks/
Ottawa Public Health: Lyme Disease
http://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/lyme-disease.aspx#Prevention
Public Health: Symptoms of Lyme Disease
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/lyme-disease/symptoms-lyme-disease.html
Ontario.ca Lyme Disease Info:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/lyme-disease
Ontario Public Health Unit Locations:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/system/services/phu/locations.aspx
Holistic Healing for Lyme Disease: Webinar Course Series
https://commonwealthherbs.com/lyme-management-webinar/
Lyme infected rashes vs non-lyme infected rashes with photos:
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html
Information with rash size description:
http://www.lymemd.org/learn-about-lyme.html
Ottawa Public Health: Lyme Disease
http://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/lyme-disease.aspx#Prevention
Public Health: Symptoms of Lyme Disease
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/lyme-disease/symptoms-lyme-disease.html
Ontario.ca Lyme Disease Info:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/lyme-disease
Ontario Public Health Unit Locations:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/system/services/phu/locations.aspx
Holistic Healing for Lyme Disease: Webinar Course Series
https://commonwealthherbs.com/lyme-management-webinar/
Lyme infected rashes vs non-lyme infected rashes with photos:
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html
Information with rash size description:
http://www.lymemd.org/learn-about-lyme.html