Prevention,Lyme,Disease,Watcho health Prevention of Lyme Disease
The technology behind listening devices has improved dramatically in recent years, giving new hope to those with impairment. While still far from a perfect replacement for the natural ability to hear, these devices give those with a disabili If the vagina is not offering the firm grip to your male partner, he expresses displeasure in lovemaking. You need to tighten the orifice and regain lost elasticity. You can make use of herbal remedies for loose vagina treatment naturally. H
Watchout for those ticks! The unseasonablewarm winter is expected to contribute to a very high tick population thisyear. Additionally the incidence of LymeDisease has been significantly increasing in recent years. In our Urgent Care clinic last year we saw atleast twice as many cases of Lyme Disease than expected.Dontlet those trends stop you from getting out and enjoying the greatoutdoors. With a bit of caution and someknowledge about ticks and Lyme Disease, you will be able to help protectyourself.Firsta few basics; Ticks are actually arthropods not insects, but insect repellentsprays do help repel ticks. Use your bug sprays and also wear light coloredclothing which makes it easier to spot attached ticks. Most importantly of all do a thorough wholebody exam of yourself (or your loved one) after outdoor activities, or at the end of the day. Ticks need to beattached and biting for at least 36-48 hours in order to transmit Lyme Disease.Ticksare not all alike. Lyme Disease, andseveral other diseases prevalent in our area, are only transmitted by one typeof tick. The Ixodes species of tick,commonly called the deer tick, is quite small. These ticks are usually 3 mm or smaller(about the size of a sesame seed) and often have an orange black color on theirback. The more common wood ticks(common dog ticks) are much larger. Goodphotos of ticks are now easily found with a simple Google search on thecomputer. Ifyou have a tick attached to your skin the best way to remove it is with atweezers. Squeeze as close to your skin on the head of the tick with thetweezers and firmly pull it off. We nolonger recommend using Vaseline, or trying to burn a tick to remove it. Also, dont worry about the small black mouthparts that often remain our bodies do a great job of clearing these.Weget several patients per day presenting to our clinic with concerns because ofa recent tick bite. Remember if thetick was not attached and feeding on you for over 36 hours, then contractingLyme Disease would be extremely unlikely. If you try to do daily skin exams for ticks, then you will likely findand remove any ticks prior to the 36 hour window. Fortick bites that seem likely to have exceeded 36 hours there is an option ofprophylactic antibiotics. Like manythings in medicine there is some controversy over using prophylacticantibiotics for tick bites. Because ofthe high prevalence of Lyme Disease in Southeastern Massachusetts having ahigh risk tick bite would be worth discussing with a health care provider. Treating with a single antibiotic might beconsidered if a case meets these 3 criteria:1)Probable deer tick Ixodes species2)Likely attached for over 36 hours3)Must present for treatment within 3 days of the bite. Itmight be helpful to bring the tick in to your medical visit.Mosttick bites do not need prophylactic treatment. With a bit of diligence, most ticks can be found and removed on the sameday of exposure. If someone were todevelop symptoms of Lyme, these usually develop within 2-4 weeks ofexposure. Many patients would developthe classic round red rash called erythema migrans. Other common symptoms include fever, headacheand diffuse muscle and joint pains. LymeDisease can present in many different ways; its diagnosis can be difficult insome presentations. Suspicious symptomsshould be evaluated by your health care provider. Isuspect that we will see a record year for cases of Lyme Disease in our area. Remember the basics for prevention.1)Use bug spray2)Wear light colored clothing to spot ticks as they catch a ride3)Check your skin thoroughly for ticks all over!!Andif you get a deer tick bite that may have been attached for over 36 hours, thenplan a visit to a health care provider to consider prophylactic treatment.DavidW. Parker, MD Family Practice Physician is the Chief of Urgent Care at HarborMedical Associates, 541 Main Street, Suite 414, So. Weymouth, MA. This Urgent Care Center is a walk-in clinicopen 7 days/week to all Harbor Medical Associates patients. Also open to non-HarborMedical Associates patients based on health plan. Please visit www.harbormedical.com for moreinformation.
Prevention,Lyme,Disease,Watcho