Lyme disease is a disease spread by deer ticks in summer months. It is most common in wooded areas of the United States, such as Washington, Oregon, and the east coast. The disease has four stages, and sufferers can be severely disabled if Lyme disease is not diagnosed and treated during the early stages.

Lyme Disease Can Have Serious Symptoms

Early symptoms of Lyme disease include a distinctive circular rash, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. If the illness is not treated, other symptoms can develop, such as joint pain, extreme fatigue, additional skin rashes, and severe joint pain. Joints may also swell dramatically, and the patient may experience chronic pain. Severe, untreated Lyme disease can lead to brain damage, heart damage, severely painful joints, heart palpitations, and more.

Deer Ticks Can Carry Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans from other mammals by deer ticks. The ticks feed on the blood of an infected animal, then transfer the disease to humans when they bite. To prevent Lyme disease, it’s important to prevent tick bites whenever possible. Practicing appropriate rodent control and tick control can help limit the spread of Lyme disease. Eliminating rodents and ticks will also help you to get rid of fleas, and is well worth the investment.

Ticks Prefer Rodents as Hosts

Humans are most commonly infected by deer ticks that move from deer or rodent hosts to their human hosts. Ticks cannot fly, so they must crawl from one host to another. They frequently crawl around on high grass or shrubbery in wooded areas in order to move from one host to another, although they can also travel into homes while attached to rodents or pets.

Lifestyle Choices Can Help Prevent Contracting Lyme Disease

The only way to avoid contracting Lyme disease is to avoid being bitten by a deer tick that’s carrying it. If you’ll be outdoors, wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into your socks. If you have long hair, wear it up or under a hat. Apply an insect repellent that’s EPA approved for ticks, and when you return home, strip and thoroughly inspect your body for ticks. If you are bitten by a tick and develop a rash or increased fatigue, visit your doctor promptly so that you can be tested for Lyme disease.

Eliminating Tick Habitats Near Your Home Can Help Keep You Safe

To reduce the danger of contracting Lyme disease, consider adjusting your landscaping. Trim bushes and tall grass to eliminate hiding places for rodents and deer ticks. If you have pets that frequently go outdoors, fence your yard to keep them out of wooded areas and help prevent the spread of ticks. Consider replacing decorative landscaping near your home with rocks or other low landscaping, so that there’s nowhere for rodents to hide near your house. Monitor your pet’s behavior carefully, and check them regularly for ticks when they enter your home. This will help prevent ticks from crawling from your pet, to your home’s furnishings, to your body.