How to Avoid Lyme Disease This Tick Season
Summer is tick season, and that means that it is also potentially “Lyme disease season.” Lyme disease is caused by a tick bite, and can present symptoms like a target-shaped rash, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms like fever. Sometimes, Lyme disease goes undiagnosed for an excruciatingly long period of time, and it is often misdiagnosed as another condition.
To save your loved one all this suffering, you should try to help them avoid getting Lyme disease in the first place. But how?
As their elderly care provider, you are most likely with them whenever they go out, and most of the time when they are inside the house as well. This means that you are their first line of defense against any threats that could come up no matter where they are, and in this case, that threat would be ticks.
Here are several ways to help your loved one keep from getting bitten by a tick, so that they can avoid the threat of Lyme disease.
- Avoid tick-infested areas. This first tip is just common sense. If you don’t want to be bitten by a tick, don’t go to an area in which many of them might live. A forest, an area with tall, unkempt grass, and any area that seems to be more “wild” than others is usually a hotbed for ticks. But, if you absolutely have to go to these areas, read on for more tips.
- Dress properly. If you and your aging loved one are going out into a woodsy area or park where you know that ticks may be lurking, dress appropriately. Wear long sleeves and long pants if you can, and tuck your loved one’s pants into their socks, so that if any ticks climb on them, they will not be able to get under their clothes to their skin. This may not look like the most fashionable way to dress, but you can rest assured that it is effective in stopping ticks.
- Do a tick check. When you and your loved one come inside from a place where ticks might be, check each other for ticks. Check the ankles first, then the wrists, and even the head. Ticks love to hide amongst the hair on both people and animals, so be sure to do a thorough check there so that you can catch them before they bite.
- Don’t let your yard be a home for ticks. Even residential neighborhoods can be home for ticks. Keeping your grass mowed and your porch, deck, yard, and other property clean and neat can greatly reduce the number of ticks that could be around your home.
If you do all of these things and your loved one sill gets bitten by a tick, though, this doesn’t mean it is the end of the world. Some ticks don’t spread Lyme disease, so unless your loved one begins to present symptoms of illness, they may be fine (keep a doctor’s number on hand though, just in case). The important thing is that you stay vigilant, and don’t let any of those sneaky little bugs get past you!
If you or someone you know needs help with elderly care in Ada, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
- Understanding Osteoporosis and What to Look for in Your Aging Loved Ones - April 23, 2024
- What Your Senior Needs When Going to the Hospital - April 17, 2024
- 5 Things to Calm Your Senior Parent with Alzheimer’s - April 10, 2024