![]() Prompt tick removal can reduce your chances of acquiring Lyme disease. Looking out for symptoms of Lyme disease, and checking yourself for ticks after you go to green spaces where they may be present is very important. If the nervous system or heart is affected, then injected antibiotics may be offered. This is the case for most people who contract Lyme disease, but if left untreated, the infection can spread to the nervous system and other areas of the skin, joints or rarely to the heart. In the UK, Lyme disease is an uncommon infection and can be successfully treated with a full course of antibiotics. There are estimated to be around 3000 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed in England each year. Ticks are most active in the spring and summer months when the weather warms up but can be found all year round. People are most likely to encounter ticks when doing activities in the countryside or other green spaces such as woodland, some urban parks or gardens. Other signs to look out for include muscle or nerve pains or a drooping facial appearance when the nerves to the muscles around the upper part of the face are affected. Although a lot of people associate the disease with the rash, 1/3 of people don’t report seeing one. Symptoms include a spreading circular red rash, which may appear as a bulls-eye rash like the image below, as well as non-specific flu-like symptoms. Although Lyme disease should not deter you from enjoying the outdoors, you can reduce your chance of infection by following the precautions above. The disease can be acquired when bitten by an infected tick, particularly when spending time outdoors in green spaces. Lyme disease is an infection transmitted by some tick species. Remove any attached tick as soon as you find it using a tick-removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers. Use insect repellent such as DEET and consider wearing light coloured clothing so that you can easily spot ticks and brush them off.Īfter spending time outside, check yourself, your clothing, your pets and others for ticks. While walking in green spaces, consider wearing clothing that covers your skin to make it more difficult for ticks to access a suitable place to bite. You are therefore more at risk of being bitten if you take part in activities such as hiking, cycling or camping, but they can also sometimes be found in urban gardens. Ticks live in many different outdoor environments but they are particularly common in grassy and wooded areas. In this blog, you'll learn how to avoid tick bites, how to recognise the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and TBE and when to seek medical assistance. To help you stay safe this spring and summer, we've compiled a guide to protecting yourself from tick-borne infections. Ticks can carry infections and while Lyme disease is more common in the UK, we have recently confirmed a case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in England. As we head into spring and summer we are reminding people to be ‘tick aware’ as they enjoy the great outdoors.
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