9 Tips to Protect Patients from Lyme Disease
The following guidelines can help patients protect themselves from Lyme disease. Check local health department and park or agricultural extension services for information about the seasonal and geographic distribution of ticks in your area.
1. Avoid tick-infested areas, especially in May, June, and July.
2. Wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be spotted easily.
3. Wear long-sleeved shirts and closed shoes and socks.
4. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and tuck shirt into pants.
5. Apply insect repellent containing permethrin to pants, socks, and shoes, and compounds containing N,NdiethylM-toluaminde (DEET) on exposed skin. Do not overuse these products, especially around or on infants and children. Read and follow product directions carefully.
6. Walk in the center of trails to avoid overgrown grass and brush.
7. After being outdoors in a tick-infested area, remove, wash, and dry clothing.
8. Inspect the body thoroughly, and remove carefully any attached ticks. (For information on how to remove ticks, see box, p. 20.)
9. Check pets regularly for ticks.
Source: Lyme Disease, The Facts, The Challenge (Publication 92-3193), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. (See ordering information, above right.)
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