Hiking is the perfect activity to help distract oneself hectic pace of everyday life. So it’s understandable that you may not be thinking about some of the dangers that surround you. Sure you may spray on a little repellant to keep those pesky mosquitoes from eating you up, but there is an even smaller creature lurking out in nature that can do far great harm to you and your family: the deer tick.
Deer ticks in themselves are harmless. The problem is that they can spread disease. In particular, we are talking about Lyme Disease. Complications from Lyme disease generally arise when it isn’t diagnosed and treated early on. Fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, and neurological symptoms are a part of the effects of having Lyme disease long term.
Practice Tick Safety
1. Keep an eye out for ticks on your body.
2. Remove them properly ensuring that you don’t leave the head embedded in your skin (it’s a good idea to carry a pair of tweezers on a hike).
3. Be on the lookout for that distinctive bulls-eye rash that comes along with a deer tick bite.
Of course, Lyme disease isn’t something new. You may already take precautions when you go for a hike or even spend time in your own backyard. What you may not know is that researchers have finally unlocked the key to how Lyme disease uses RNA and DNA to replicate itself in the human body.
It may not be long before we can get vaccinated for Lyme disease. In the meantime, researchers are hoping the discovery will lead to more effective treatments.
So what should you do if you are suffering from fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, and neurological symptoms that just won’t go away and don’t seem to have any particular cause? Be sure to see a physician to find out if you may have Lyme disease. The earlier you catch the condition, the easier it will be to treat and the faster your recovery will be.