Lyme disease myths not to believe

Lyme disease myths not to believe

During warm weather it’s tempting to be lured outdoors spending time amongst nature.  Who doesn’t enjoy taking a walk in the woods, playing games on your lawn, or fishing on a grassy bank?  Maybe not if you have concerns about Lyme disease.

One of the fastest epidemics growing in the nation is Lyme disease.  Each year more than 329,000 new cases are found in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control.  Not only is it a problem that continues to spread but getting accurate facts on this condition is not always easy.  There are many misconceptions and myths surrounding this condition making it hard for people to get diagnosed in a timely manner in order to be treated as soon as possible. 

Here are 10 of the more common myths about this illness and the information you need to protect yourself and your family:

Myth #1 - When a tick bites you, you will feel it

Not so.  When a tick attaches itself to human flesh, it has a numbing agent in their saliva to prevent you from knowing it is there.  In fact, most people will not even recall seeing a tick attached to them.

Myth #2 – You can only get Lyme disease in areas where deer live

Just because you never see deer where you live, do not believe you are safe from Lyme disease.  A tick called blacklegged ticks, commonly called deer ticks, can carry the bacterium that causes the illness. These ticks feed on small mice, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, birds, deer, and even on dogs and cats.

Myth #3 – Every person with Lyme disease develops a bulls-eye rash

One of the most iconic symptoms associated with Lyme is the development of a bulls-eye rash.  However, less than 50 percent of people will actually get this.  In the early stages, a person may have flu-like symptoms with a headache, stiff neck, or a rash that is so pale or oddly positioned that it is barely noticed.  Even if you do develop a rash, it can be mistaken for a skin infection or spider bite.

Myth #4 – Ticks can fall from a tree landing on you

Ticks do not climb trees, waiting for people to come by and drop onto.  What ticks can do is crawl up grass, brush or shrubs and when you walk by is when they will latch onto maybe your foot or leg and then crawl up your body latching onto some area.  To minimize exposure, when walking outdoors in a grassy area such as a pasture or on a trail, don’t wear shorts, wear pants tucked into socks and shoes, wear long-sleeved shirts, and tuck shirts into pants making it very difficult for ticks to get inside your clothing next to your skin.

Myth #5 – Lyme disease is only found on the east coast

Lyme disease is named for Lyme, Connecticut and is more prevalent in the Northeast and Midwest but all 50 states have reported cases of the illness.  And it is not just endemic to the U.S.; it is also found in parts of Europe and Asia, Australia and Canada and in the Amazon region of Brazil.

Myth #6 – The ticks die back during winter

This would be nice but not true.  The only time they might be killed off during the winter is if the temperature were to fall below 10 degrees Fahrenheit for a long time which does happen very often.  In areas receiving heavy snowfalls, the snow simply provides a layer of insulation for blacklegged ticks helping them to survive the long winter.

Myth #7 – The best ways to remove ticks are to burn or suffocate them

Experts agree that burning a tick with a match, or trying to suffocate them with nail polish, gasoline or petroleum jelly, is not as effective as simply gently pulling the tick away from the skin.  Be sure that you have removed the tick’s mouth along with the rest of the body. 

Myth #8 – All ticks carry Lyme disease

The ticks that carry Lyme disease are called deer ticks or blacklegged ticks.  Only between 25% and 50% of those ticks carry the bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, that causes Lyme disease.  Many ticks do not carry the disease including Lone star ticks, the American dog tick, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, and the brown dog tick.  But some of these ticks can carry or transmit other diseases, just not Lyme disease. 

Myth #9 – Lyme disease can be transmitted from person to person

There have been no reported instances of transmission of Lyme disease from person to another or by transmission from an animal to a person.  Therefore, it cannot be transmitted sexually, or by kissing or drinking out of the same glass as someone with the illness. 

Myth #10 – Lyme disease cannot be cured

If it is caught in the early stage within the first one or two months after the tick bite, it is very treatable with a course of antibiotics. When treated early, the bacteria will be killed and the patient is cured.

Later-stage Lyme disease or what is known as Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), which is also known as chronic Lyme, is harder to diagnose and to cure it.  Depending on the length of time since the tick bite took place and what symptoms have developed, will determine if a person can be treated or not. 

For more information on Lyme disease, visit The American Lyme Disease Foundation.  This website has a plethora of excellent resources including finding physicians trained to treat this illness.