a more sensitive question...how do you protect bare skin when nature
calls?>>
This is a timely question for us - we just launched the TEXAS TICK
hitchhiker into the wilds of South Texas! Folks are warned to pass this
HH on ASAP to avoid being LYMED (The TEXAS TICK includes a couple boxes
of lime-flavored tic-tacs).
But we have also included a page of more serious cautions about ticks:
LYME DISEASE
(The Serious Stuff)
Although we are making light of it, LYME disease is no laughing matter.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can cause skin, joint, heart
and nervous system problems. The disease usually begins with flu-like
symptoms such as fatigue, headache, fever, stiff neck and joint pain.
There may be skin lesions or rashes around the bite. Treatment is with
antibiotics. Untreated, Lyme disease may result in severe damage to
joints, the heart and nervous system.
To protect from ticks:
. Check your body for them every few hours. They are small, and
attach to any part of the body head to toe.
. Stay on trails outdoors; avoid areas of overgrown brush and tall
grasses.
. Wear light-colored clothes to easily spot ticks. Protect skin
from tick bites; wear a hat, long-sleeved shirt and long pants tucked
into boots or socks.
. Use insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin (follow
directions).
If you do find a tick, remove it right away, using tweezers to grasp the
tick at the skin surface. If tweezers aren't available, use a tissue to
protect fingers from the tick's body fluids. With a steady motion, pull
the tick straight out. Don't crush the tick's body. Be patient! It takes
time to do properly. Using Vaseline or touching the tick with a hot
match may be common practices but are not the best procedures.
When I ran a Cub Scout day camp here in Texas, I dusted my ankles with
sulphur powder which seemed to repel chiggers and ticks and my
husband...;-)
Ruby Tuesday
Of CelticLions