|

Living
healthy
Stress
reduction
Hygiene
Peer
pressure
Dressing
for health
Sleep
Self-exams
Breast
Testes
Skin
Ticks
Nutrition
Guidelines
Antioxidants
Building
muscle
Carbohydrates
Dairy
Calcium
Dieting
Fat
Fiber
Fish
Fruits
Vegetables
Protein
Supplements
Vitamins & minerals
Water
Exercise
Benefits
Vital
info
Stretching
Aerobic
training
Strength
training
Circuit
training
Exercises
for you
Injury
Mental
health
Drugs
Safe
sex
Avoid
harm
Breaking
bad habits
|
 |
Checking
for Ticks
Ticks are small dark colored insects that grow
to the size of a sunflower seed. Ticks in the US can carry any of
7 diseases, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and Rocky
Mountain spotted fever.
To eat, a tick crawls up a blade of grass or a branch
and waits at the end of it for a warm-blooded host to come along.
As a host walks by the tick grabs on. In a few hours, the tick begins
to bury the front part of its head into the skin of its host and
sucks blood from the site.
To avoid ticks...
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and full-length
pants in wooded areas.
- Wear light-colored apparel so ticks can be
seen.
- Tuck your pants into your boots or socks
to prevent ticks from walking up your leg.
- Wear shoes instead of sandals.
- Spray your clothes with a tick repellent,
such as Permethrin, and spray your skin with a tick protectant
such as Deet.
- Check yourself, your pets and companions
for ticks after passing through wooded areas, and before entering
your car or house.
- Ticks lay large numbers of eggs. Since most ticks
don't travel far they can be highly concentrated in a small area.
Therefore, once you see a tick check your entire body for more
and stay out of that area.
If you find a tick:
- Remove the tick promptly and carefully.
Use a fine pointed tweezers to grasp the tick near its head or
mouth and pull gently to remove the whole tick without crushing
it. If the tick has buried its head in your skin, make sure you
get all the mouth parts out of the skin. Do not use nail polish
remover or a hot match.
- If possible, seal the tick in a plastic bag
and keep it in case you later need to see your doctor. Otherwise
flush the tick down the toilet or bury it.
- Wash your hands after handling the tick.
- Wash the bite area thoroughly and apply antiseptic.
Pay attention to your health for the next few weeks.
If you develop any of the following symptoms see your doctor immediately,
and bring the tick with you.
- Feeling sick
- Rash
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Joint pain and swelling

|
|

|