Infectious Diseases Lyme Disease

Protect Yourself from Lyme Disease

Summary & Participants

It's time to enjoy the great outdoors - but be sure you know how to protect yourself from Lyme Disease.

Medically Reviewed On: August 01, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER : it's summer, time to enjoy the great outdoors. It’s also the time to protect yourself from Lyme disease.

Jeffrey A. Morrison, MD, Internist : Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of a deer tick If a tick bites you, then the transmission usually occurs within the course of about 24 hours.

ANNOUNCER: Doctor Jeffrey Morrison is an internist who specializes in Lyme disease. He recommends taking extra precautions when ticks are active.

Jeffrey A. Morrison, MD, Internist : When people prepare to go hiking in the woods, it's important to wear light-colored clothes, so that, if a tick gets on your clothing, you'll be able to identify it and get it off. It's important to use long-sleeve shirts, long pants and I recommend tucking the pants into the socks. That's a great way to help prevent the tick from just crawling directly up the leg.

ANNOUNCER: It’s also important to stick to trails and avoid overgrown brush. In some cases people may want to consider using a repellant that contains DEET.

Jeffrey A. Morrison, MD, Internist : If a person was going on a very long hike or doing camping trips for an extended period of time, it would be a good idea to apply DEET to shoes, socks and the bottoms of clothing. The most important thing is, after a person comes in from hiking, then they do a very thorough check of their skin to make sure that there are no ticks attached.

ANNOUNCER: If you find a tick on your body, doctor Morrison recommends removing it carefully with a fine tipped tweezer.

Jeffrey A. Morrison, MD, Internist : It's important to take the tick directly at the head where it bites -- where it is attached to the body and gently pull directly out. It's not a good idea to burn it or use chemicals, suffocating it does not work, petroleum jelly does not work.

ANNOUNCER: If you live in an area where Lyme disease is common, you may want to bring the tick in to your doctor to have it tested. You should also see your doctor if you develop a rash where you were bitten. Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily.