If you love the great outdoors as we all do, this is a must-read article! May is officially the start of tick season and Lyme disease prevention is key. If you get Lyme disease, it can be a lengthy and tough recovery. I want to help you to be less likely to get a tick bite in the first place AND to know how to remove one safely, should you need to.
Lyme disease is much more common than you might think. As we learn more about it, we understand that any kind of tick can carry the organism (plus co-infections that can go along with it). There’s also speculation that spiders and even mosquitos can inject these infectious agents into your body when you get bitten. But ticks are still thought to be the main carrier. Let’s look at some ways to protect yourself!
Weapon one- Cistus Incanus tea:
Cistus has been used extensively in folk medicine, due to its many healthy properties. It strengthens your immune system, helps to heal your gut, beautifies your skin, and is loaded with antioxidants. It has a lovely flavor, unlike some medicinal teas. And in addition to these benefits- it makes you less attractive to ticks. Yes!!! My favorite Cistus comes from BioPure.us and is available in loose tea that you brew yourself or in a tincture form that you just add to water. To brew, use 1 tsp of dried tea in a tea ball and brew for 10 minutes. You then use that same tea ball for 2 additional brews! So one teaspoon can give you 3 servings of the active ingredients. And did I mention the lovely taste? Seriously, it’s delicious!
You can find it here.
Weapon two- proper clothing:
If you’re going for a hike or camping, wear light-colored long pants tucked into white socks. Stylin’ for sure! But this clothing makes it easy to spot ticks that might try to hitch a ride. Ticks don’t drop from the trees; they’re in grasses and other vegetation on the ground. Tuck your shirt in, too. Ticks will climb upward to find a good spot to bite, so the less opportunity you give them to find flesh, the better.
Weapon three- proper removal:
If you live in the South, chances are good that you will get a tick or two in your lifetime. My own father’s friends nicknamed him Tick because they found one on him at age 9 and he was known as Tick to these guys till his dying day! When I was a kid, we used such methods as burning a tick with a hot matchstick or pulling them out with tweezers. Both these methods actually cause the tick to spit the toxic infection into your body! Now we know that the best way to remove a tick is like unscrewing a corkscrew, and thanks to the folks who invented the ZenPet Tick Tornado, it’s easy to do this. I recommend buying a few and keeping one in your car and another in your bathroom. There are two different sizes for larger and tiny ticks. Inspect yourself when you’ve been outside for a while and be sure you remove any hitch-hiking ticks asap. You can find the ZenPet Tick Tornado online or in any major pet supply store.
My final word is, please don’t be scared to go outdoors. It’s so healthy to do so! Take the above precautions and enjoy this beautiful season!
Disclaimer:
This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: We are not medical doctors and nothing in this newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Discuss all medical issues with your own MD.
