ON THE LOOKOUT FOR LYME DISEASE: The Emergency Care Center at Sturdy Memorial Hospital Offers Prevention and Awareness Tips

Summer is the perfect time for enjoying the outdoors. Unfortunately, summer is also tick season. “Whether your activities are hiking, camping, or even taking a walk or gardening in the backyard, you are at risk for Lyme disease because deer ticks, which carry the infection, could be anywhere outdoors,” says Dr. Brian Kelly, Chief of Emergency and Occupational Services at Sturdy Memorial Hospital and board certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream and establishes itself in various tissues, which can cause a number of symptoms, some of them severe.

Preventive measures include: avoiding wooded areas with high grass; using insect repellant with 20 percent or more of DEET; wearing long pants, sleeves, socks, and hats outdoors; and checking your skin and clothes for ticks and removing them before going indoors. If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the body with fine-tipped tweezers right away. “If you think you have Lyme disease symptoms, which include a circular skin rash, joint pains, headache, fever, chills, and fatigue, seek medical attention immediately,” says Dr. Kelly. Early diagnosis can prevent severe symptoms and complications such as muscle and joint pains or cognitive defects.

Sturdy’s Emergency Care Center, which is equipped to handle some of the most serious situations life has to offer and treats nearly 50,000 patients annually, is open 24 hours a day. For more information, visit www.sturdymemorial.org.