“The best way to not get Lyme is to not get bitten in the first place,” says Dr. Schmuel Shoham, infectious disease specialist at Washington Hospital Center in Northwest.
Infectious disease specialists recommend taking a few steps to avoid getting bitten by the black-legged or deer tick, which carries the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.
Use an insect repellent with N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) to ward off ticks and mosquitos, including on pets.
Wear light-colored clothing to provide an easy way to spot ticks, along with long sleeves and pants. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots.
“We don’t like bare skin too much in tick-infected areas,” says Dr. Gary Wormser, chief of infectious diseases at New York Medical College and Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y.
Conduct a tick check after being in a wooded area, including on the back and scalp with the help of another person.
Remove a tick with a pair of fine-tipped tweezers. Grab the tick by the head or mouthparts and pull straight up, avoiding breaking the tick body. However, the mouthparts can remain in the skin, because the bacterium lives in the tick’s body. Apply an antiseptic to the bite area.
Remove leaf litter, brush and wood piles from around the home and yard.
—Shelley Widhalm
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