Lyme Disease - What Every Art Nude Model (and Photographer) Really Should Know.

There is already a detailed article on Lyme Disease, Preventing Lyme Disease and the Risks, which is recommended to those who want to know more. My aim is to provide a lighter, more practical guide for those who spend time in the woods, especially those who frolic around with no clothes on.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor; the text below is drawn from my own personal experience and reading.

What is Lyme Disease?

A bacterial infection which attacks your body in many different ways - especially joints and nerves. It can be a chronic and debilitating illness, and treatment options are not always successful.

How could I catch Lyme Disease?

Lyme is spread by the bite of infected ticks. Ticks are little vampire spiders (apologies for any nightmares) which attach themselves to you and suck your blood. If unnoticed, they may continue to feed for several days (SEE BELOW).

Where might I pick up an infected tick?

Ticks thrive in woodland & grassy areas. Bites are most likely between March & October.

Lyme risk is medium to high in most of England and Scotland now, with hotspots in Southern England, the Scottish Highlands and Thetford Forest. Wales is relatively safe. From Scandinavia to the Mediterranean & in North America, the risk is high. Prolonged exposure is not necessary - you could pick up a tick if you stop for a pee behind a hedge.

Here's the important bit

Young ticks are tiny - about the size of a poppy seed. They secrete an anaesthetic when they bite - so you will not feel a thing! Ticks are skilled at attaching themselves (very firmly) in places where they may be hard to spot (e.g. behind your knees, under your boobs, etc.), and they can easily climb up trouser legs.

The only way you are going to find a tick is to inspect your skin all over and very carefully! Don't imagine that you will 'know'. They will not wash off in the shower and can survive 40°C in your washing machine.

Removal

Please carry a pair of tick tweezers in your kit! The aim is to grab the tick firmly as close to your skin as possible and pull or twist it out without crushing it or leaving anything behind. Even with tweezers, a considerable pull may be needed to detach them. If ticks are cleanly and promptly removed, the risk of infection is small; a tick bite does not automatically mean Lyme.

What if I don't spot the tick?

This is much more likely than you think. In many cases, a pink/purple patch, slightly raised, perhaps 4-5cm in diameter, will develop around the site of the bite. It is easily mistaken for a swollen mosquito bite but will probably NOT hurt or itch. This is an early stage of the Lyme rash and good cause to consult a GP if you know you have been bitten or in a risk area.

The rash may expand to as much as 30cm in diameter any time up to 3 months after the bite and may look like a 'bullseye' target, with a ring surrounding the centre spot. This is enough to clinically diagnose Lyme disease, and you should urgently seek treatment (normally antibiotics).

The rash does not always occur, and Lyme should be considered as a possibility if you have been feeling unusually tired for several weeks (perhaps sleeping 2 hours/ day more than usual) or if you experience unexplained joint aches and pains and think you could have been bitten at some time.

Prevention

Please don't let fear of tick bites cramp your enjoyment of the outdoors! It's a great idea to use an insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridine, or to treat clothing (especially shoes/trousers) with 0.5% Permethrin (get it from outdoor & camping suppliers).

If you have been enjoying the outdoors in risk areas, make a visual skin check part of your routine. It is much, much better to prevent Lyme than to live with it.

Fun photo! What Lyme rash looks like

I did a photoshoot while I had the full-blown Lyme rash (technical term: erethema migrans) - believe it or not, I still hadn't noticed it, being mainly on the back of my leg - see the dark circle about 12" in diameter at the base of my right thigh (it's not a shadow) here: https://purpleport.com/portfolio/lifemodel/image/7473546/model (n.b. NSFW but not graphic).