how lyme infections look Archives » Tick Control in Central Mass

Central Mass Lyme disease prevention is critical, and that is not figurative language. Literally critical – urgent – dire!

May is a beautiful time of year in Central Mass, and with the warm weather folks begin to spend more time outdoors with their families. We begin to work in the yard, host cook-outs, and spend mild evenings relaxing on our back patios. Many across the U.S. get moving for the cause of Lyme disease. 5K runs in the name of Lyme? Yes, it’s that important! Why? See the trailer below for the critically acclaimed documentary, Under Our Skin!

See more about Under Our Skin.

In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, I would like to cover some important aspects of Lyme.

Lyme Disease Symptoms

An estimated 30% to 80% of Lyme patients will develop a rash related to the disease. The bullseye rash is most commonly associated, but did you know that other rashes can be associated with Lyme? Did you know that some patients don’t develop a rash at all? In a CDC report, more than 40% of Lyme Carditis patients did not have Lyme related rash. Early symptoms include: fever, chills, nausea, sweating, and joint pain.

Read about 3 steps to determine your Lyme disease risk after you have been bitten by a tick.

Children and Lyme

*Central Mass tick protection is critical for your child*

Detecting Lyme disease in your child might be difficult, as symptoms can present behaviorally, without a prevalence of sickness symptoms. Children with Lyme can have insomnia, difficulty communicating thoughts, fatigue, short attention span, and severe mood swings. Because children as susceptible to tick bites, it is essential that you hire a licensed tick control company to spray your yard, your child’s playground. Check your child each day for ticks or tick bites, and if you find evidence of either, follow these tick removal instructions, and be vigilant in watching for symptoms, including those mentioned above.

Pets and Lyme

Your pets are also extremely susceptible to ticks and tick bites. They too, can get Lyme disease. In addition to tick protection for your yard, please check your dogs, cats, and horses for ticks regularly, and watch for symptoms, such as lethargy, and unexplained limping.

Check out this video to learn how to properly check your pet for ticks.

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Tick Control Enthusiast

Not all ticks carry infections. Many areas of the US don’t have a serious tick problem. Unfortunately, Central MA is not one of them.

Ticks can carry more than one infection, which are often associated with the tick species. Our most common tick in Massachusetts is the Deer tick, a carrier of Lyme Disease.

When bitten by a Deer tick, it can take 3-30 days before any sign of a Lyme infection has occurred. It is important to write down on a calendar when you were bitten. Any sign or symptoms occurring within 30 days should be reported to your physician. He or she will need to know when you were bitten and when you noticed the first symptoms. Ticks use an anesthetic when they bite, so they often go unnoticed. If a tick is removed within 48 hours of first biting, the risk of them transmitting Lyme Disease is believed to be low.

Lyme disease prevention begins with trusted Central Mass tick control.

If you do find a tick attached to your skin, there are certain things you need to know. Along with fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain and swollen lymph nodes you should look for physical signs of an infection as well. In the case of Lyme Disease, the infection will often show as a bulls-eye rash on your skin. It can appear around the bite or anywhere on the skin. The rash will often gradually expand further out from the area first discovered. Some patients will simply notice a red blotch with no bulls-eye. The rash is usually not itchy or painful. Thirty percent of infected patients will not see a rash at all, so noting the other symptoms you are experiencing is important in your diagnosis.

Also read: Should I put anything on a tick bite?

The bulls-eye rash can have other variations. Immune response, skin pigmentation and the location of the bite can affect how the rash develops. In the photo on the right, only a small, inflamed area appears around the bite. This inflammation is a first sign of a possible infection but not conclusive. Inflammation is a naturally occurring healing process our body uses to repair damaged cells. Consider any inflammation an indication you need to observe if you have any other symptoms and if a rash around the bite area.

This photo is the classic bulls-eye rash with which we are most familiar. It clearly looks like a bulls-eye and is indicative of a Lyme infection.

Lyme rash — courtesy of dunehypnotherapy.co.uk.com

This photo shows a less defined bulls-eye. It does have a reddish or brown center area with a lighter brown area around it. This patient had a Lyme infection.

lyme disease infection — courtesy of helio.com

On tanned skin, the bulls-eye rash can be even more difficult to distinguish. The darker pigmentation of the skin makes the rash more subdued and difficult to distinguish. This photo is from a pediatric patient with a Lyme infection.

The most important thing to remember when bitten by a tick is to track your symptoms. In many cases, no rash may appear. Each patient’s immune system will respond differently to an infection but a rash is one more clue that a Lyme infection has occurred.

Remember, if you are in good health and Lyme Disease is diagnosed early you have an excellent prognosis of overcoming the disease after a few weeks of antibiotics. Contacting your doctor as soon as any symptoms appear is your best course of action in overcoming any worry and getting rid of the disease.

Also read: Is Chronic Lyme disease real?

Dave Macchia Mosquito Squad square 2 — Dave Macchia, Tick Control Enthusiast

Category: how lyme infections look

Hello, May. Hello, Lyme Disease Awareness Month!