FitSugar

Ticked Off! Stop Lyme Disease Before It Happens

FitSugar — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:00:40 PDT

The long Memorial Day weekend is the official start of camping season. And while hanging in the woodsy outdoors is fun, it increases the risk of being bit by a tick and contracting Lyme disease and other types of tick-borne infections, like Rocky Mountain spotted fever or tularemia. Blacklegged ticks (aka deer ticks), lone star ticks, and American dog ticks are all on the list of things you don't want touching your body.

The first step in protecting yourself is to keep ticks off of you. Wear bug repellent and protective clothing that covers the majority of your skin. Whenever you leave a woodland area, give yourself a tick check - wearing light-colored clothing will make it easier to spot any bugs on you.

Find out how to remove a tick from your body and spot symptoms of Lyme disease when you

If you've been bitten, use tweezers to remove the tick. Do not smother the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly and don't use a hot match. You want to avoid crushing the tick to ensure that the disease-causing bacterium stays inside the tick's body. Pull the entire tick out - mouthparts and all - and wash the area with soapy warm water. The chance of contracting anything is pretty low if If you get the tick out within 24 hours of being bitten. Bitten or not, always seek medical attention if you have any strange symptoms while camping, or after you get home.

Here are the most common symptoms associated with Lyme disease:

Fever
Headache
Fatigue
A characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans

If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system, causing painful symptoms and loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face (called Bell's palsy ). A lab test will determine if you have Lyme disease, and a few weeks of antibiotics will successfully treat the infection.

What You Need to Know About Lyme Disease

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:30:06 PDT

Oh no! Poor Parker Posey has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Due to her illness, the 40-year-old star of Best in Show is dropping out of her planned off-Broadway play, This. We wish her the best for a speedy recovery.

Posey certainly isn't alone. Lyme disease affects about 20,000 people in the United States each year, versus 10,000 new cases annually in the early '90s. Transmitted by blacklegged ticks, called deer ticks, in the eastern US and western blacklegged ticks on the West Coast, Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. Not every tick transmits Lyme disease, just the ones that have fed on infected animals. Learn how to recognize the symptoms and prevent Lyme disease when you

If you are bitten by a tick, you may not feel it. So keep an eye out for these symptoms if you've been outdoors:

A bull's eye-like skin rash, such as the one shown here. It may start as a small spot and expand into a purplish circle over a few days.
Fever
Fatigue
Joint aches

Most cases can be cured quickly with antibiotics, but some patients will later develop neurological complications, such as Bell's palsy. So be sure to protect yourself from ticks whenever you're outdoors by covering your skin with long sleeves and socks, and use plenty of bug spray. Don't forget to have a friend check you for ticks when you get home.

Have you ever had a tick or contracted Lyme disease?

Which Creepy Crawlies Can Make You Sick?

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:00:00 PDT

Many of you must be excited to get out and enjoy the warm weather, but when you head out, unfortunately you have to watch out for bugs. Not only are they annoying, but they can cause some potentially life-threatening health issues. Arm yourself with the facts by taking this little quiz.

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True Tails: My Dog Has Lyme Disease!

PetSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:00:21 PDT

You may be wondering why I've been going a tad tick crazy on the site during the Dog Days of Summer. Well, there's a reason. Last week when chatting with a pal in NYC, she shared a scary story about her rescued Rottie mix, Jack.
While he's seen here in sleepier times, my friend woke up one morning a couple weeks ago to find him not only resting, but totally unable to get up. Obviously, she freaked out and called a friend with a car to help carry the dog to his doctor. The vet did some tests but initially asked if her pooch had spent anytime in the country. Countryside? Does Brooklyn count? To learn where and when he contracted the disease, and what's happening now

Even though her pooch is always on his tick medication, it's not 100-percent guaranteed. Tracey was home visiting her parents in rural Massachusetts last Fall when she found a tick on her pooch. She removed it, and assumed all was well. Not so, as he was eventually diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

It seems that he exhibited some of the symptoms I mentioned when not being able to walk . . . and it's true that this disease can be dormant in pets for months before owners can notice it. While he's now on medication and doing much better, I know my take-away lesson from this was to never overlook a possible illness – even though I sometimes overreact, it's better to be safe than sorry!

You Asked: I Think I Have Lyme Disease

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:30:00 PDT

You're asking and I'm answering.

Dear Fit,
Last weekend after a night of camping, I was washing my hair and realized there was something stuck to my scalp. My husband took a look and found a small black tick embedded in my skin. He removed the whole thing, and aside from being completely freaked out, now I'm worried that I have Lyme disease. How do I know?
-Totally Ticked Off by a Tick

I'm sure many other readers can feel your pain in discovering a creepy crawly bug on your head, and I can understand your concern about Lyme disease, but don't panic yet. Just

First, it's important to know what kind of tick you found on you. Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium (called Borrelia burgdorferi in case you were wondering), which is transmitted by a bite from infected black-legged ticks. In the northeastern and north-central US, the blacklegged tick (or deer tick) transmits Lyme disease. In the Pacific coastal US, the disease is spread by the western black-legged tick. When a tick feeds on an infected animal, the little bugger takes the bacterium into its body. It sounds gross, but the bacterium lives in the gut of the tick, and the next time it goes to feed, the tick can transmit the bacterium to its new host.

If you have Lyme disease, early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle soreness, fatigue, and a characteristic reddish skin rash called erythema migrans will appear three to 30 days after you've been bitten. The rash is often circular and resembles a bull's eye pattern. If left untreated, the infection can spread to your joints, heart, and nervous system, causing pain and loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face (called facial or "Bell's" palsy).

If you are having early symptoms, or you just want to be sure, a lab test will determine if you have Lyme disease, and a few weeks of antibiotics will successfully treat the infection.

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Watch Out For: Ticks

FitSugar — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT

Exercising in the woods is perfect in the Summer because the challenging terrain offers you a tough workout, but the trees provide shade to prevent overheating. When on the trail you need not only to watch out for poison ivy, but be on the lookout for ticks as well. These little buggers are small, but their bites have the ability to transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, Lyme disease, and other tick-borne illnesses. Blacklegged ticks (deer ticks), lone star ticks, and American dog ticks are all on the list of things you don't want touching your body.

To prevent ticks from landing on you and attaching to your skin, wear long sleeves, pants, and tall socks that cover your shins. Lighter colored clothing will make it easier to spot these dark bugs so you can flick them off. If it's too hot for all those clothes, then spray yourself with bug repellent. Also avoid walking in tall grassy areas. Be especially cautious in May, June, and July when ticks are most active. After an excursion in an area that's known for ticks, check yourself or have someone else check your skin - don't forget your armpits, scalp, and groin.

To find out what you should do if you see a tick stuck to your body

Remove the tick from your skin by using tweezers. Don't smother the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, and don't use a hot match. You want to avoid crushing the tick to ensure that the disease-causing bacterium stays inside the tick's body. Pull the tick out and if the mouthparts are still in your skin, pull those out too. Wash the area with soapy warm water. If a tick has latched on to you and it's been less than 24 hours, your risk of contracting a disease is fairly low. Monitor the bitten area as well as your overall symptoms over the next few weeks, just to be sure.

Is it just me, or does anyone else get itchy just looking at the images of ticks?

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Lil Links: David Beckham Has a Few Words For His Daughter's Future Boyfriends

LilSugar — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:16:41 PDT

David Beckham wishes baby Harper's future suitors a lot of luck! - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Is it OK to stand up to another parent about their discipline techniques - Parenting
Movies I can't watch now that I'm a parent - Babble
Steal Vivienne Jolie-Pitt's eclectic look - Celebrity Baby Blog
Do little girls need lingerie? - Momformation
The latest news on Lyme disease - Health
Breastfeeding mom kicked out of women's gym - The Stir
More uses for cord blood - FitPregnancy
The best celebrity baby names of all time - The Bump
Shocking mom confessions - HerSay
4 indoor uses for kiddie pools - Yahoo! Shine
This incredible table teaches tots to eat, play, and grow - Child Mode

4 Health Dangers of Summer

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:50:00 PDT

Nothing beats the lazy days of Summer, when you're toughest decision is to go to the beach or to hit the pool? I hate to rain on your sunny day, but unfortunately, there are some commonplace health hazards you should watch out for. Here are four things to keep in mind as you enjoy the warmer weather and longer days.

The pool. Even though the water is treated with chemicals, studies show that one in eight public pools contain water borne bacteria such as E. coli and Giardia, that could make you really sick. Do not swallow the pool water, try not to rub your eyes, and shower afterward with hot water and soap.
Undercooked meat and food that's been left out. When going to a friend's barbecue, choosing meat that isn't rare is a good way to avoid salmonella, but keep in mind that color isn't necessarily a good indication. Meat should be cooked to at least 160 degrees, so buy your friend a meat thermometer, so you can all avoid food poisoning. Also beware of potato salad and other perishables that have been left out. In the hot Summer sun, don't eat anything that's been out for more than an hour.

To see what else you should be aware of

Sun exposure. The sun can put you at risk for sunburns, heat stroke, and dehydration. Lube up with sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and try to stay cool.
Bugs. Warm weather brings out buzzing mosquitoes, which can bring with them diseases like West Nile Virus. To protect yourself, bug spray is a good idea. Watch out for ticks too since they can transmit Lyme disease. Wear tall socks, pants, and long sleeves when going into woodsy areas, and check your skin every time you come inside.