Keystone Health shares tips on Lyme disease signs and tick bite prevention

Keystone Health offered guidance on identifying Lyme disease, safely removing attached ticks, and lowering the chance of tick bites. Lyme disease is spread by the bite of an infected tick, and these bites are often painless, which means they may go unnoticed.

Signs may appear days or weeks after a bite and can include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Some people also develop a rash that enlarges over several days and may look like a bull’s-eye. In some cases, symptoms occur without any rash.

Doctors typically look at a person’s symptoms and any possible tick exposure, and they may order blood tests. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics, and most people who receive early treatment recover fully. If it is not treated, the infection can lead to arthritis, facial weakness, or an irregular heartbeat.

Keystone Health recommends removing an attached tick as soon as possible. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grip the tick close to the skin and pull upward steadily without twisting. Afterward, wash your hands and the bite area with soap and water. A health care provider should be contacted if a rash or fever develops in the days or weeks that follow.

To help prevent tick bites, Keystone Health advises staying on marked trails, avoiding tall grass, wearing long sleeves, long pants and closed-toe shoes, and using tick repellent. It also recommends checking for ticks and showering soon after coming back indoors.