Lyme Disease, The Great Imitator

In recent years, Lyme disease diagnoses have become more prevalent. Still Lyme is commonly mistaken for other ailments.

What makes Lyme disease the great imitator? First of all, Lyme is one of those illnesses, which takes on many different shapes. Symptoms can vary from one person to the next. Children often have different symptoms than adults. It is also believed that Lyme is left undiagnosed in women more than men. As long as Lyme has been around, there is still so much confusion surrounding the disease.

Lyme disease great imitator — Lyme is often undiagnosed in women.

Lyme is mistaken for Alzheimer’s.

Kris Kristofferson has Lyme disease A few years ago, we learned that Kris Kristofferson had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He was treated for the disease for years, only to then be found to have Lyme disease. Once his Lyme was treated, he began to lose the Alzheimer’s symptoms. It’s not just Alzheimer’s, though! Lyme is often mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Symptoms of Lyme mimic those of other illnesses, and many doctors are not informed enough to do proper testing to make a Lyme diagnosis.

Where you live could have an effect on your health when it comes to diagnosing Lyme disease.

Are tick borne diseases contagious? For a very long time, certain regions of the United States were not believed to have Lyme-carrying ticks. For this reason, many patients were never even considered for Lyme testing when they began to show symptoms that mimic other ailments. In recent years, especially with highly-publicized cases of misdiagnoses, doctors in these areas are starting to test for Lyme when symptoms common among other illnesses show up in patients. To say that there has been a learning curve in diagnosing Lyme is an understatement. People, who live in the south and other supposed less-affected areas might still find themselves fighting for proper Lyme diagnoses.

What can you do if you think you have Lyme symptoms?

What if you find a tick on you?

If you have been outdoors and believe you might have been bitten by an infected tick, and begin to show signs of illness, seek immediate medical attention. Explain your potential exposure or known exposure if you actually found an embedded tick. Look for the Lyme rash, which presents in bull’s eye pattern. Explain your symptoms to your doctor, and if they are not equipped to perform proper Lyme testing, ask help finding a practitioner, who is. If Lyme is diagnosed early, there is a great chance it can be cured with antibiotics. If you believe you suffer from chronic Lyme symptoms, also seek the aid of a Lyme specialist, who can properly diagnose and treat the disease.

What are common symptoms of Lyme, which mimic other diseases?

sleeplessness is a Lyme symptom Because Lyme symptoms range from extreme fatigue, headache, and joint pain to cognitive impairment, it can be mistaken for the disease mentioned above, as well as others. These include ALS, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia. In children, hyperactivity and other cognitive impairments lead to misdiagnoses of ADD and even learning disabilities.

Also read: Lyme Disease in Children and Teens

Dave Macchia mosquito conrol and tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia
Central Mass enthusiast for effective season-long mosquito and tick protection

Protect your home and family in Central Massachusetts with year-round tick control. This is your single best bet in prevention of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

3 Stages of Lyme Disease

The CDC estimates that there are up to 300,000 cases of confirmed and unconfirmed Lyme disease infections per year in the United States.

Did you know that there are three stages of Lyme disease? Each stage happens after a particular passage of time following a bite from an infected tick. Though there are about 30,000 confirmed cases of Lyme in the U.S. each year, experts predict that most cases go unconfirmed. Lyme can be difficult to diagnose. Lyme can also lie dormant in the first two stages, only showing symptoms months or years after a tick bite.

What are the 3 stages of Lyme disease?

Stage 1: Early Localized Lyme

In this stage of infection, patients might notice a Lyme rash, often in the shape of a very defined bull’s eye. This stage occurs within 30 days after a bite from an infected black-legged tick. Other symptoms in this stage might be fever, chills, fatigue, headache, joint pain, and sore throat. Early localized Lyme is treated with a round of strong antibiotics. Most often, early localized Lyme disease can be cured with doxycycline.

Stage 2: Early Disseminated Lyme

This stage of Lyme disease happens weeks or months after a bite from an infected deer tick. Symptoms in this stage are a bit different and can be more sever than in stage one, because the bacteria is spreading through the body. In stage two, patients can experience fever, conjunctivitis, memory loss, interrupted sleep, mood swings, and numbness in extremities. Sufferers might feel as if they have a severe case of flu in stage two.

Stage 3: Late Disseminated Lyme

Stage three of Lyme disease is also known as chronic Lyme. If Lyme is left untreated or is not treated effectively in early stages, the disease becomes chronic. Sufferers of chronic Lyme are left to treat various symptoms for life, and often find it difficult to receive proper medical care. Some doctors even doubt the existence of chronic Lyme, leaving sufferers feeling alienated. Specialized care is a must in this stage of Lyme disease. Some of the symptoms are chronic arthritis, irregular heart rhythm, brain infection, seizures, and skin ailments. Chronic Lyme has been mistaken for Alzheimer’s in some very prominent cases, like that of Kris Kristofferson.

Other Lyme disease facts:

It is estimated that about 70% of Lyme infections result in a bull’s eye rash. That number is even less for kids at 10%.
Dogs can contract Lyme disease, and most times remain uncured for life.
Lyme disease in teens can cause suicidal tendencies.
Early detection and treatment are the keys to preventing chronic infection.

Central Mass residents must protect themselves from the threat of infection with effective tick control.

Professional Central Mass tick control is our best ally in the fight against tick bites, and it is available all year long. In the spring, summer, and fall, barrier tick spray is an essential part of Lyme disease prevention. In the late fall and through the winter, tick tubes will carry on the fight, decreasing the number of ticks that will emerge in the spring.

What to Do if You Find a Tick on You

So, you found a tick. It’s embedded in your flesh. What do you do now?

This is an all-too-common scenario in Central Massachusetts. Growing tick populations see us trying to avoid ticks every trip outdoors, even in our own backyards. The good news is, there are many ways to protect ourselves from ticks. Personal tick repellent and protective clothing are recommended when hiking, camping, or going to the beach. Professional at-home tick control will keep you safer at home. Even so, our efforts can never achieve 100% protection against ticks. Here is what to do if you find a tick on you or a family member.

What if you find a tick on you? — What to do if you find a tick on you.

Remove the tick.

remove tick with tweezer — Remove the tick with tweezers, not peppermint oil.

Contrary to popular belief, heating the tick or slathering it in peppermint oil are not proper methods of tick removal. All that is required for tick removal is a pair of tweezers. According to the CDC, fine-tipped tweezers should be used to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible. Pull up with even pressure, and do not twist the tweezers. Choose your method of disposal, but do not crush the tick with your fingers. Wrap it tightly in tape, soak it in alcohol, or flush it. Be sure to clean the bite area thoroughly with alcohol and follow up with warm soap and water.

Should you keep the tick to have it tested?

While you can save the tick to have it tested for disease, the CDC also does not recommend it as a standard practice. Stating that lab tests are often erroneous, and might not be helpful in determining your risk for disease, they recommend disposal instead.

What should you do after the tick is removed and disposed of?

watch for Lyme symptoms after tick bite — Not all cases of Lyme disease have a bull’s eye rash.

Watch for symptoms of illness for the next 30 days. For Lyme disease, this could be the telltale bull’s eye rash, but many cases of Lyme do not present with the rash. You should also watch for other symptoms, such as extreme fatigue, body aches, fever, and joint pain. Seek medical help at the first sign of any symptom you believe might be related to your tick bite.

You must be bitten by a tick to become infected with Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses. If you find a tick crawling on your skin, you are not susceptible to infection. If you do find a tick embedded in your skin, know that most times, unless a tick has been attached for at least 36 hours, you likely will not get Lyme disease. Be vigilant anyway.

Do you need an antibiotic after a tick bite?

The CDC also does not recommend antibiotic treatment for everyone after a tick bite. Speak with your physician. Your doctor might recommend a dose of doxycycline as a preventive measure.

Also read: Is DEET better than picaridin for hiking?

Even though we are coming to the end of high “tick season” there are steps you can take to make your yard safer all year long and next spring. Call your Central Mass tick control professional to ask about tick tubes for ultimate tick protection for your family.

3 Ways to Prepare for a Great Spring this Fall

Fall is a time for final outdoor preparations for winter weather. Here are three great ways to prepare your yard for spring, starting now!

Autumn is usually a welcome time of year. Like springtime, fall brings about relief from the previous season’s extreme weather. Fall is full of beautiful weather, fresh air, colorful foliage, and spicy fragrances and flavors! In this, the season of pumpkin spice everything, there are still a few essential chores outdoors.

prepare lawn yard fall winter — Yay, fall!

Fall lawn tips for healthy spring emergence.

Lawn care in the fall is just as essential as spring and summer, if not more. There are some simple solutions for having a healthier lawn next year, if you take a little time to prepare now. This includes watering. Your lawn still needs watering until the ground begins to freeze.

prepare lawn fall

Reseed – Reseeding your lawn in late summer or early fall. Over-seeding now will take care of bare spots left by hot summer sun. Our lawns retain water much better in the fall. Plus, autumn grass sprouts will not be damaged by the sun.
Fertilize – Ask your local lawn expert about the best fertilizer blend for your particular type of grass and soil conditions. Apply fertilizer a few weeks before your last mowing. You can also use a mulching mower to mulch fall leaves into all-natural fertilizer, which will lay atop your lawn, and decompose in the winter.
Cut grass short – Cutting your lawn shorter than normal for your last mowing is important because long blades of grass will become matted under snowfall, and suffocate springtime sprouts beneath. Cutting grass to 1.5 to 2 inches in the late fall will also help prevent snow mold.

Keep tender bulbs indoors this winter.

Many gardeners allow their tender bulb blooms to die each year. Gladiolus, calla lilies, and dahlias don’t have to die. Forget purchasing new and replanting each year. You can choose to plant your tender bulbs in planters, so they can be taken in for winter storage in your cool basement or garage. Periodic watering is all that is required, just to ensure that the soil never completely dries out. Otherwise, you can plant your tender bulbs in the ground, and dig them up for proper storage through the winter fore springtime reemergence.

prepare bulb plants fall — Take tender bulbs indoors for winter storage.

Autumn tick control for a safer yard in the springtime.

tick tubes in Central Mass from Mosquito Squad — Tick tubes in fall will protect your family in the spring.

The prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases has us all rethinking tick control. Tick control efforts no longer end with the change of season. You can actually protect your family better next spring and summer by continuing tick control in the “off season.” Tick tubes are the answer! Tick tubes are biodegradable, cotton-filled tubes, which are placed around your home and property in the fall and winter. The cotton inside is treated with pesticide. Mice, common carries of Lyme bacteria, which infect larval ticks, will carry this cotton to their nests. The pesticide does not harm the mice, but it will kill ticks that are in the nest, or try to take their blood meal from a mouse, who has nested with this treated cotton.

Ticks still quest in the fall and winter.

How does this help in the spring? Eliminating larval ticks in the fall and winter means less ticks emerging in the springtime. Prepare for a great spring and summer, starting right now!

Also read: Do ticks die in winter?

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

Opposing Forces in the Spread of Lyme Disease

There are two creatures in nature, which play opposing roles in the spread of Lyme disease. Do you know what they are?

The word “rodent” does not usually give us a warm, fuzzy feeling. Though, they are warm and fuzzy. There is a sect of population, who keep rodents as pets. Hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs are popular small pets. Some people even keep mice and rats as pets. Most of us wish to keep mice and rats out of our homes. Did you know that mice can be way more dangerous in the outdoors than in? Here’s why.

natures opposing forces spread of lyme

Mice are common spreaders of Lyme disease.

The white-footed mouse is perhaps the most common spreader of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Ticks take their first blood meal from wild animals, including birds, and ground animals, like mice. Up to 90% of white-footed mice are believed to carry Lyme-causing bacteria. When a larval tick feeds on an infected mouse, he is ready to go to his next life stage. In his next stage of life, the black-legged tick sets his sight on a different animal, many times humans, livestock, or pets. Nymph ticks are so small, we often do not catch them until they have taken their blood meal from us. Nymph ticks are the most prolific spreaders of tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme disease.

mice carry lyme bacteria — Mice spread Lyme disease, but can you catch it from mice?

Can you get Lyme disease from mice?

Lyme disease bullseye rash — Lyme bullseye rash after tick bite

Humans cannot catch Lyme disease directly from mice. Ticks are the only vectors of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is not contagious. In order to contract this illness, you must receive a bite from an infected tick. Mice do indirectly spread Lyme, but they cannot pass Lyme disease in any other way than through a tick.

Opossums fight against the spread of Lyme disease.

As opposed to mice, opossums aid in the fight against the spread of Lyme by devouring thousands and thousand of ticks each year. Opossums are constant groomers and only one of these American marsupials can eat up to 4,000 ticks per week. If you live in a wooded area, and see an opossum, don’t harm him. He’s helping protect your family from Lyme disease!

opossum fight lyme disease — Opossums are not so cute or cuddly, but very effective in Lyme prevention.

Tick control never goes out of season.

tick tube in garden Be on like the opossum, and protect your family from tick bites all year long with tick tubes. Though the most active tick season is early spring through early fall, they still live and move in the winter. You can protect your family in the “off season” by employing a professional Central Mass tick control company to deploy tick tubes around your home and property. These biodegradable tubes are filled with cotton, which is treated with pesticide. Mice will find the tubes, and take the treated cotton back to their nests. When a larval tick attempts to feed on the mouse, the pesticide will eliminate the tick, literally halting the tick life cycle, and decreasing the tick population around your home.

How close are we to a Lyme disease vaccine in 2020?

While a Lyme vaccine for dogs has been available since 2009, there is still no vaccine available for humans.

deer ticks spread Lyme disease — Deer ticks spread Lyme disease to dogs and humans

The Nobivac Lyme vaccine for dogs went on the market in 2009. This vaccine is recommended for dogs, which are at high infection risk. That means dogs, who live in areas with large deer tick populations, like Central Massachusetts. While Merck’s studies show the vaccine to be more than 99% safe, pet owners are still uncertain about allowing their dogs to get it. Will we be receptive to a Lyme disease vaccine for humans? When can we expect to see a Lyme vaccine?

The Lyme vaccine that was

A Lyme vaccine for humans was introduced in the late 1990’s, but was pulled from the market after only three years. The vaccine was surrounded with uncertainty. How long would it last? Would we require a yearly booster? Add to that, this Lyme vaccine had to be given with a series of shots over a one-year period before immunity was achieved. There were also questionable side effects.

Will a new Lyme disease vaccine be worth the risk?

Lyme vaccine update for 2020

Traditional vaccine approach underway
In 2017, the FDA fast-tracked Lyme vaccine trials by French biotech company, Valneva. Phase one of their clinical trials showed promising results for efficacy and safety. Joined by pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer in 2020, they are now co-developing the vaccine. Phase two trials are underway now in North America and Europe. This phase is expected to be completed any time, and results released within a few months.

Lyme vaccine 2020 — One traditional Lyme vaccine is in clinical trials now

A new method of Lyme prevention is in the works
Vaccines work when proteins from the disease-causing agents are introduced to patients. This triggers the body to begin producing an immune response by making antibodies to fight the disease. One problem with this method is the time it takes for the human body to develop immunity. Is a new approach the better answer for Lyme disease prevention?

Mark S. Klempner, MD, executive vice chancellor for MassBiologics and professor of medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School, thinks so. He is currently working to develop a method, which delivers an anti-Lyme antibody directly to the patient. This eliminates the need for the lengthy response required for the body to build antibodies. He says, “Unlike a vaccine, Lyme PrEP uses a single human antibody, or blood protein, to kill the bacteria in the tick’s gut while it takes its blood drink, before the bacteria can get into the human host.” Dr. Klempner’s Lyme prevention would be a once-yearly injection. This method of protection has show early promise, with a 100% success rate in mice. Phase one clinical trials are set to begin late in 2020, with phases two and three following through 2022.

Lyme prevention in 2020

tick tubes for Lyme prevention — Tick tubes help reduce tick populations

Lyme disease prevention remains a non-clinical approach. This means using tick protection when you are outdoors, and protecting your property with professional tick control barrier spray. Reputable Central Mass tick control companies can provide tick protection all year long. This means barrier tick sprays every couple of weeks from springtime through fall. Then, using tick tubes in the fall and winter. Not only will barrier spray eliminate up to 95% of the ticks in your yard, but tick tubes will break their life cycle to decrease the number of ticks that emerge in the spring.

Is Lyme disease only from ticks?

Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness. Do you have to get a tick bite to get Lyme disease?

Yes, Lyme disease is only passed through a tick bite. Ticks are not infected with Lyme. The are carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Ticks that carry Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii, are the only culprits of Lyme disease transmission. Lyme is not passed by any other animal. Lyme is not contagious. It is not passed from humans to animals. It is not passed from animals to humans. The fact that Lyme is so prevalent, yet is only passed through a tick bite, illustrates the impact of ever-growing tick populations.

do you have to get bitten by a tick to get lyme disease — Is Lyme disease only from ticks?

Which ticks do not transmit Lyme disease?

wood ticks are not known to carry lyme disease — Wood ticks are not known to carry Lyme disease.

The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are transmitted through the bite of a deer tick, also known as a black-legged tick. Ticks that can also be found in the United States, which do not transmit Lyme disease, are the brown dog tick, American dog tick, wood tick, and Lone Star tick. But don’t go thinking those tick species are not harmful to humans and animals. They transmit diseases, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, and Southern tick-associated rash illness.

Tick control is the single best prevention for Lyme disease.

tick tubes — Tick tubes offer year-round tick control.

The best method of preventing Lyme disease for your family is through tick control and personal protection. This means that you should protect yourself with tick repellent and protective clothing when you are camping, hiking, or even spending a day at the beach. Perform full-body tick checks after you are outdoors. For simple at-home protection, hire a tick control company to treat all the areas outside your home in spring, summer, and fall. Ultimate tick control measures can be taken with tick tubes in the winter.

Also read: Are tick-borne illnesses on the rise in Massachusetts?

Is a tick a spider?

A tick is not a spider, a spider is not a tick, but both ticks and spiders are arachnids.

Arachnids are defined as wingless, antennae-less carnivores in the Arachnida class of invertebrates. Neither ticks or spiders are insects. Insects are made up of three body parts. They have a head, thorax, and abdomen. Insects also have three sets of legs. Spiders are made up of two body parts – a cephalothorax and abdomen. Ticks’ bodies are not segmented. Spiders and ticks have four sets of jointed legs. This is probably the most commonly-known comparison between the two.

Are ticks and spiders deadly?

Ticks and spiders are some of the most dangerous invertebrates on the planet. A bite from a tick or a spider can cause a reaction, illness, or eventual death. The most toxic spider in the world is the funnel web spider. A bite from this spider can cause death within a day’s time. No one has died from this spider’s bite since 1981. Ticks carry dangerous diseases, which can be passed to humans, pets, wild animals, and livestock. Powassan virus is a potentially deadly tick-borne illness. Though rare, Powassan can cause encephalitis. Severe cases have a death rate of 10%.

Other notable arachnids.

Ticks and spiders are in good company as arachnids. Other well-known arachnids are daddy long-legs, mites, and scorpions. Scorpions are probably feared more than spiders for their alleged deadliness. Did you know that of the 1,500 species of scorpions only 25 are considered toxic enough to kill humans? Even so, the most dangerous scorpions actually can’t kill healthy adults. They are dreadful-looking, though!

a tick is an arachnid like a scorpion — Ticks, spiders, and scorpions are all arachnids.

See more tick and Lyme disease questions and answers:

Prevent tick-borne illness with tick control.

With growing numbers of ticks and cases tick-born diseases, we must remain vigilant in our known methods of prevention. There are no vaccines for illnesses, such as Lyme disease and Powassan virus. There are limited cures or treatments for those afflicted with dangerous tick-borne diseases.

tick control Andover MA — Professional Central MA tick control

We must practice personal tick protection while out of doors, away from our homes. Use tick repellent spray, or wear tick repellent clothing. Wear long sleeves and pants, rather than shorts, while hiking. At home, our best prevention is hiring a trusted tick control company to treat our yard and all the areas around our homes. Central Mass tick control companies even offer tick control in the winter, which will help lower the number of ticks that emerge in the spring. An ounce of tick prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure!

What is the best tick prevention?

When it comes to tick prevention, we want to use the most effective methods.

We ask the question, “What is the best tick prevention,” for two reasons. First, we want to know what is best for our families. Pet-owners are also very interested to know the best tick protection for their pets. There is more than one answer to this question.

What is the best tick prevention for your family?

When you are away from home, personal tick protection is key. Clothing treated with the pesticide, permethrin, can be worn when hiking for tick protection. Personal tick repellents can be sprayed directly on your skin at the beach or at a friend’s backyard barbecue.

When it comes to the ultimate tick protection at home, choosing a professional tick control company is essential. Reputable tick control companies employ all-natural tick repellents or EPA-registered pesticides all around your home. These formulas are engineered to work for a couple of weeks at a time. The all-natural repellent will help keep ticks away from your yard. The EPA-registered tick control formula will eliminate ticks on contact, and continue killing them with a time-released formula for about three weeks.

What is the best tick protection for dogs?

Informed pet owning families know that a bite from an infected tick can be very dangerous for dogs. Some of the illnesses that dogs can get from an infected tick are Anaplasmosis, Hepatozoonosis, and even Lyme disease. According to Pet Life Today, Some of the best methods of tick protection for dogs are Bayer K9 Advantix and Frontline Plus. In addition to tick protection, I highly recommend heart worm prevention. Heart worms can result from one mosquito bite. Heart worms can be deadly. At the very least, this disease and treatment can leave dogs with lifelong heart problems.

In addition to oral or topical tick protection for dogs, at-home tick control is essential. If you want to ultimately protect your dog from the threat of tick-borne and mosquito-borne illnesses, choose a reputable tick control company to treat your yard.

Year-round tick protection is best for your family and pets.

Ticks are on the rampage in Central Mass. Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise. Year-round tick protection is available from reputable tick control professionals. Adding to professional tick protection sprays, the use of tick tubes will help control the emerging tick population in the spring.

Is Lyme disease curable?

Lyme disease is by far the most prevalent tick-borne disease. Is Lyme disease curable?

There is a lot of confusion around Lyme disease, even though it is widely known, and much talked about. Even experts cannot come to agreement about Lyme. Some doctors still do not believe that chronic Lyme disease is real. Many with chronic Lyme are dismissed as having psychological illness.

Is Lyme disease curable?

The good news is that Lyme disease is a curable tick-borne illness. If caught early, Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics within a few weeks or a couple of months. The bad news is, since there is no Lyme vaccination, it is only preventable by following personal tick protection protocols. Humans are likely to become complacent about tick protection when outdoors, whether hiking or going to the beach. We forget or simply avoid using tick repellent or clothing that will help us not become a tick magnet.

Is Lyme disease able to be cured? — Lyme disease is curable if it is caught early

How do you know if you have Lyme disease?

Early symptoms of Lyme disease are a lot like the flu. You might experience body aches, fever, chills, and fatigue. Contrary to popular believe, Lyme disease does not always include a bulls-eye rash. This is one of the biggest reasons that people put off being tested for Lyme, choosing to just let the flu run its course. If diagnosis and treatment are delayed, chronic Lyme can be a very real threat. Chronic Lyme could mean a lifetime of treating symptoms, and result in a lengthy diagnosis process if you do not quickly seek the help of a Lyme specialized doctor. Lyme disease is diagnosed with a series of blood tests. If you have been outdoors in high tick season, and begin to feel flu-like symptoms, it is always best to go to the doctor to rule Lyme in or out as early as possible.

Is Lyme curable? — Blood tests will tell you whether or not you have Lyme disease

Central MA tick control for Lyme prevention

The single best thing you can do for your home and family in the prevention of Lyme, is to employ a reputable tick control company. Complete barrier tick protection should be applied to your property about every two to three weeks from April through October. In cold weather months, you can choose to have your tick control experts place tick tubes around your property. Tick tubes are essential in controlling the tick population in the springtime. By breaking up the tick life cycle in the cold months, you will see less ticks when warm weather comes back around. Year-round tick control is a great investment in your family’s health and safety!

In recent years, Lyme disease diagnoses have become more prevalent. Still Lyme is commonly mistaken for other ailments.

Lyme is mistaken for Alzheimer’s.

Where you live could have an effect on your health when it comes to diagnosing Lyme disease.

What can you do if you think you have Lyme symptoms?

Also read: Can Lyme disease be cured?

What are common symptoms of Lyme, which mimic other diseases?

Also read: Lyme Disease in Children and Teens

Also read: 3 Stages of Lyme Disease

The CDC estimates that there are up to 300,000 cases of confirmed and unconfirmed Lyme disease infections per year in the United States.

What are the 3 stages of Lyme disease?

Stage 1: Early Localized Lyme

Stage 2: Early Disseminated Lyme

Stage 3: Late Disseminated Lyme

Other Lyme disease facts:

Central Mass residents must protect themselves from the threat of infection with effective tick control.

Also read: Lyme Disease in Children and Teens

So, you found a tick. It’s embedded in your flesh. What do you do now?

Remove the tick.

Should you keep the tick to have it tested?

What should you do after the tick is removed and disposed of?

Do you need an antibiotic after a tick bite?

Also read: Is DEET better than picaridin for hiking?

Fall is a time for final outdoor preparations for winter weather. Here are three great ways to prepare your yard for spring, starting now!

Fall lawn tips for healthy spring emergence.

Keep tender bulbs indoors this winter.

Autumn tick control for a safer yard in the springtime.

Also read: Do ticks die in winter?

There are two creatures in nature, which play opposing roles in the spread of Lyme disease. Do you know what they are?

Mice are common spreaders of Lyme disease.

Can you get Lyme disease from mice?

Also read: Is Lyme disease only from tick bites?

Opossums fight against the spread of Lyme disease.

Also read: Nature’s Ally in Lyme Prevention

Tick control never goes out of season.

Also read: Is Lyme disease curable?

While a Lyme vaccine for dogs has been available since 2009, there is still no vaccine available for humans.

The Lyme vaccine that was

Lyme vaccine update for 2020

Lyme prevention in 2020

Also read: Is Lyme disease only from ticks?

Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness. Do you have to get a tick bite to get Lyme disease?

Also read: Are tick-borne diseases contagious?

Which ticks do not transmit Lyme disease?

Also read: Dog Tick vs. Deer Tick

Tick control is the single best prevention for Lyme disease.

Also read: Are tick-borne illnesses on the rise in Massachusetts?

A tick is not a spider, a spider is not a tick, but both ticks and spiders are arachnids.

Are ticks and spiders deadly?

Other notable arachnids.

Prevent tick-borne illness with tick control.

Also read: Is Lyme disease curable?

When it comes to tick prevention, we want to use the most effective methods.

What is the best tick prevention for your family?

What is the best tick protection for dogs?

Also read: Does vinegar repel ticks?

Year-round tick protection is best for your family and pets.

Also read: Are tick-borne disease contagious?

Lyme disease is by far the most prevalent tick-borne disease. Is Lyme disease curable?

Is Lyme disease curable?

How do you know if you have Lyme disease?

Central MA tick control for Lyme prevention

Also read: Are tick-borne diseases contagious?