CHAMBERSBURG – Summertime is a great time to lace up your hiking boots and take in South Central Pennsylvania’s great outdoors. But, while our region is home to many hiking trails, it is also home to ticks and mosquitoes that can be bothersome and potentially dangerous, according to Valerie Myers, a certified, registered nurse practitioner with WellSpan Urgent Care
Insects can carry illnesses such as West Nile virus, Zika virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. While not all insect bites will lead to these illnesses, some could. That’s why it’s important to prevent bites when possible, especially when mosquitos are most active around dawn and dusk and during the warmer weather when ticks thrive, Myers said.
Anyone can prevent bites by using an insect repellent containing DEET and dressing in protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts, long pants, hats and boots or closed-toe shoes when possible, she noted. You can also consider tucking shirts into pants and pants into socks for additional protection.
While not all ticks carry Lyme disease, it’s not worth the risk to go unprotected or forego a skin check after being outdoors. Therefore after being outside, always inspect yourself for ticks. When checking for ticks, focus on the hairline and hair, ears, under the arms, between the legs, around the waist and the back of the knees, Myers added.
If you see that you were bitten by a tick, you may see a bullseye rash form. Look to see if the tick is still embedded into the skin and remove the tick from your skin, using fine-tipped tweezers to grip the tick to steadily pull the tick upward.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding twisting or jerking the tick, which can cause parts of the tick’s mouth to break off and remain in the skin. Make sure to also cleanse the area with warm water and soap or rubbing alcohol. Then, dispose of it by flushing it down the toilet, placing it in alcohol, or putting it in a sealed container.
If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause severe arthritis, neurological problems, and even cardiac failure months or years after the initial infection, Myers said.
In addition to a bullseye rash, flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, fever or chills indicate you may have been bitten by an infected tick. Symptoms typically appear between three and 30 days after being bitten.
