Tick and Lyme Disease Prevention Tips from Experts and Pharmacists

Experts warn that ticks are out earlier and sticking around longer this year, making it important to protect yourself from their potentially disease-carrying bites. Lyme disease is caused by borrelia bacteria, which humans usually contract from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria. Different types of infected ticks can spread other bacteria, viruses, and parasites that make people sick. There are several methods to protect yourself from ticks, including wearing long-sleeved clothing, using insect repellent, and doing a tick check after being outdoors. Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease is important, but without treatment, the illness can get worse, with more severe symptoms developing over a period of several weeks or months.