![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Recovering from a heavy web push -- And Lyme Alert
-- but the mock-ups are done, and out the door. Now to finish a writer's web site I've made excellent progress with -- will probably put up a beta of 80% of the site this long weekend for her to poke around in.
And now, for a timely Public Service Announcement. Your attention, please...
Just a reminder that the mild winters of the past several years have caused an explosion of deer, mice and chipmunks -- the favorite meals of deer ticks. Depending on where you live, a certain percentage of those ticks carry Lyme disease. This is a simple condition to treat early on, and if missed or misdiagnosed becomes a horrifying, disabling condition requiring long-term antibiotics just to approach feeling normal.
Trust me -- you do NOT want this disease. For prevention, look behind the cut. To terrify yourself, read this stuff before the cut. And remember -- dogs and cats can be bitten and carry both ticks and the disease. Check yourself, your children, your spouse, your pets!
'"Outrage is growing because the incidence of tick-borne diseases is rising at an alarming rate, while the medical community is not keeping pace," stated rally committee member Maggie Shaw. Adding, "Thirty years have passed since Lyme disease was identified and we still have no accurate testing, no comprehensive physician training and no adequate research on chronic Lyme disease - patients who contact us at the Newtown Lyme Disease Task Force often describe enduring months of misdiagnosis and suffering before finding relief from one of the few Lyme literate physicians practicing."
One of the key concerns affecting the Lyme disease community is that doctors disagree about appropriate treatment while patients are caught in the crossfire. These deeply divided opinions, primarily where persistent Lyme disease is involved, have left many individuals suffering. Expanded physician training in tick-borne diseases, protection of Lyme physicians and increased research funding are just a few of the many issues that will be addressed by rally speakers, along with patient testimonials from both adults and children.
Children are in the highest risk category for contracting the disease, since people are commonly infected in their own backyard. The effects on students can be staggering: a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reported median school absences of 140 days in New Jersey, and a Columbia University Medical Center study reported a 22-point drop in IQ.'***
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060525/20060525005103.html?.v=1
***Those reported IQ drops are not only real -- they can cycle, causing you to have a couple of "can't connect the dots" days followed by your usual brilliance. Lyme in the mother can cause congenital Lyme in the baby, stunting brain and body growth.
http://westchester.com/Westchester_News/Westchester_Health_News/Precautions_To_Avoid_Tick_Bites_200605196592.html
Precautions To Avoid Tick Bites
Written by Westchester.com
Friday, 19 May 2006
White Plains, NY - With the warm weather around the corner, the
Health Department is reminding everyone to take precautions against
Lyme Disease and other tickborne diseases by avoiding tick bites.
"Many Westchester residents are familiar with tickborne diseases and
their prevention," stated Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr.
Joshua Lipsman. "However, each spring we call attention to the
prevention of tickborne diseases since most cases of tickborne
disease occur in the spring and summer months," he continued.
The Health Department is distributing tickborne disease educational
material throughout the community and makes educational
presentations to school children and community organizations. In
addition, the Health Department encourages residents to visit the
Health Department website, www.westchestergov.com/health to learn
the latest information about tickborne diseases.
The most common tickborne disease, Lyme disease, is a potentially
serious disease caused by a bacterium called a spirochete. The
spirochete is passed on to people and domestic animals through the
bite of an infected deer tick. The most common symptom is an
expanding red rash, typically a bull's-eye rash, often at the site
of the tick bite. The rash usually appears three to 30 days after
the bite and may last for several weeks. Other symptoms may include
fever, sore throat, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, joint and muscle
pain, swollen glands and dizziness.
Two other tickborne diseases, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis, also can
be spread through the bite of an infected deer tick and are seen
occasionally in our area. Symptoms of the two diseases can include
fever, chills and muscle aches. Infection with any or all of the
three diseases can occur in the same person at the same time.
Ticks are most commonly found in grassy or wooded areas. They do not
jump or fly, but instead stay low to the ground and grab onto
animals and humans that brush up against them. Ticks are very small
and sometimes difficult to see, ranging from the size of a poppy
seed to an apple seed. Avoiding tick bites is the best defense
against tickborne diseases.
To protect yourself from being bitten, always be sure to:
- Make it a habit of doing tick checks at least daily each and every
time you and your family return home from enjoying outdoor
activities. Inspect the entire body and remove ticks promptly. Ticks
usually must be attached and feed for at least 36 hours before
transmitting Lyme disease, so tick checks and removal at least
daily are the most effective means of preventing tickborne diseases.
- Avoid tick-infested areas (wooded or grassy areas), especially in
May, June and July when nymphal deer ticks are most active.
- Wear light-colored, tightly-woven clothes to spot ticks more
easily. Tuck your pants into socks and shirt into pants.
- Use insect repellents with no more than 30% DEET, but use them
sparingly and with care. Select the lowest concentration effective
for the amount of time spent outdoors. Products with concentrations
around 10% are effective for periods of approximately two hours. A
concentration of 24% has been shown to provide an average of five
hours of protection. DEET should not be applied more than once a
day. Products containing DEET are not recommended for use on
children under 2 months of age. Carefully read and follow directions
on the container and wash treated skin when tick exposure has ended.
- Use landscaping measures around your home or property to make it
less attractive for deer and ticks, such as keeping your grass cut
short, removing leaf litter and debris which can act as a moist
environment or ticks, and planting shrubs and flowers deer do not
like. Consult your local nursery for additional tips.
And now, for a timely Public Service Announcement. Your attention, please...
Just a reminder that the mild winters of the past several years have caused an explosion of deer, mice and chipmunks -- the favorite meals of deer ticks. Depending on where you live, a certain percentage of those ticks carry Lyme disease. This is a simple condition to treat early on, and if missed or misdiagnosed becomes a horrifying, disabling condition requiring long-term antibiotics just to approach feeling normal.
Trust me -- you do NOT want this disease. For prevention, look behind the cut. To terrify yourself, read this stuff before the cut. And remember -- dogs and cats can be bitten and carry both ticks and the disease. Check yourself, your children, your spouse, your pets!
'"Outrage is growing because the incidence of tick-borne diseases is rising at an alarming rate, while the medical community is not keeping pace," stated rally committee member Maggie Shaw. Adding, "Thirty years have passed since Lyme disease was identified and we still have no accurate testing, no comprehensive physician training and no adequate research on chronic Lyme disease - patients who contact us at the Newtown Lyme Disease Task Force often describe enduring months of misdiagnosis and suffering before finding relief from one of the few Lyme literate physicians practicing."
One of the key concerns affecting the Lyme disease community is that doctors disagree about appropriate treatment while patients are caught in the crossfire. These deeply divided opinions, primarily where persistent Lyme disease is involved, have left many individuals suffering. Expanded physician training in tick-borne diseases, protection of Lyme physicians and increased research funding are just a few of the many issues that will be addressed by rally speakers, along with patient testimonials from both adults and children.
Children are in the highest risk category for contracting the disease, since people are commonly infected in their own backyard. The effects on students can be staggering: a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reported median school absences of 140 days in New Jersey, and a Columbia University Medical Center study reported a 22-point drop in IQ.'***
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060525/20060525005103.html?.v=1
***Those reported IQ drops are not only real -- they can cycle, causing you to have a couple of "can't connect the dots" days followed by your usual brilliance. Lyme in the mother can cause congenital Lyme in the baby, stunting brain and body growth.
http://westchester.com/Westchester_News/Westchester_Health_News/Precautions_To_Avoid_Tick_Bites_200605196592.html
Precautions To Avoid Tick Bites
Written by Westchester.com
Friday, 19 May 2006
White Plains, NY - With the warm weather around the corner, the
Health Department is reminding everyone to take precautions against
Lyme Disease and other tickborne diseases by avoiding tick bites.
"Many Westchester residents are familiar with tickborne diseases and
their prevention," stated Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr.
Joshua Lipsman. "However, each spring we call attention to the
prevention of tickborne diseases since most cases of tickborne
disease occur in the spring and summer months," he continued.
The Health Department is distributing tickborne disease educational
material throughout the community and makes educational
presentations to school children and community organizations. In
addition, the Health Department encourages residents to visit the
Health Department website, www.westchestergov.com/health to learn
the latest information about tickborne diseases.
The most common tickborne disease, Lyme disease, is a potentially
serious disease caused by a bacterium called a spirochete. The
spirochete is passed on to people and domestic animals through the
bite of an infected deer tick. The most common symptom is an
expanding red rash, typically a bull's-eye rash, often at the site
of the tick bite. The rash usually appears three to 30 days after
the bite and may last for several weeks. Other symptoms may include
fever, sore throat, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, joint and muscle
pain, swollen glands and dizziness.
Two other tickborne diseases, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis, also can
be spread through the bite of an infected deer tick and are seen
occasionally in our area. Symptoms of the two diseases can include
fever, chills and muscle aches. Infection with any or all of the
three diseases can occur in the same person at the same time.
Ticks are most commonly found in grassy or wooded areas. They do not
jump or fly, but instead stay low to the ground and grab onto
animals and humans that brush up against them. Ticks are very small
and sometimes difficult to see, ranging from the size of a poppy
seed to an apple seed. Avoiding tick bites is the best defense
against tickborne diseases.
To protect yourself from being bitten, always be sure to:
- Make it a habit of doing tick checks at least daily each and every
time you and your family return home from enjoying outdoor
activities. Inspect the entire body and remove ticks promptly. Ticks
usually must be attached and feed for at least 36 hours before
transmitting Lyme disease, so tick checks and removal at least
daily are the most effective means of preventing tickborne diseases.
- Avoid tick-infested areas (wooded or grassy areas), especially in
May, June and July when nymphal deer ticks are most active.
- Wear light-colored, tightly-woven clothes to spot ticks more
easily. Tuck your pants into socks and shirt into pants.
- Use insect repellents with no more than 30% DEET, but use them
sparingly and with care. Select the lowest concentration effective
for the amount of time spent outdoors. Products with concentrations
around 10% are effective for periods of approximately two hours. A
concentration of 24% has been shown to provide an average of five
hours of protection. DEET should not be applied more than once a
day. Products containing DEET are not recommended for use on
children under 2 months of age. Carefully read and follow directions
on the container and wash treated skin when tick exposure has ended.
- Use landscaping measures around your home or property to make it
less attractive for deer and ticks, such as keeping your grass cut
short, removing leaf litter and debris which can act as a moist
environment or ticks, and planting shrubs and flowers deer do not
like. Consult your local nursery for additional tips.
no subject
I didn't know that--interesting and useful info!
no subject
It's one of the chances mother nature gives you -- getting that tick off your body in time. The problem is, a nymph tick (2nd of three years life cycle) is the size of a period at the end of a sentence. I'm sure that's what got me -- and my rashes did not arrive right away, and we NOT bulls-eye shaped.
Be safe, people. You do NOT what Chronic Lyme.
OOps
That's WANT, not what...
no subject
Me, I already have my damned DEET, much as I hate it. WHy can't they make a bug repellent product whose smell doesn't make me violently ill? Is that too mcuh to ask?
no subject
no subject
It didn't used to.
no subject