Lyme Disease - We are all at risk

Lyme's is well known outside of concrete towns and cities, although if you perambulate in Richmond & Bushy Park there are notices of possible ticks in the areas poupulated by the deer there within.

It's also been on the telly several times, I remember seeing something about a woman from Guildford who's garden backed on to heathland, and she got Lyme's from just being in her garden.

When you go to places where deer inhabit and ticks are to be found, you will see the local population wearing gaters, not wearing T-shirts but shirts so protecting themselves.  Ticks like to hang on the tops of grass & vegitation and will be gathered up by someone walking past but there are chemical protection like Tick Guard and others, which you apply to your body and also your clothing.

I suppose people believe that the countryside is a placid wonderland, trotting off as many do with trainers and t-shirts going up Snowdon or Cnicht or up "big" hills in Sky and wonder why the fuck they are dying of exposure.

I brought this subject up a couple of years ago and it was very decisively ridiculed and the consensus was that it was not a problem to get worked up about.

Just got back from Mull, was shooting in the woods and spent time down low in the undergrowth. Got back to the cottage and felt something on my leg. Got rid of it swiftly (not my leg) and at the time I thought it might have been a tick - just looked at pictures and it was. Luckily it hadn't bitten me despite obviously being on me for quite a while. Cheers for the reminder. 

Bournemouth Photography said

High risk areas for Lyme Disease include Exmoor, the New Forest and other rural areas of Hampshire, the South Downs, parts of Wiltshire and Berkshire, parts of Surrey and West Sussex, Thetford Forest in Norfolk, the Lake District, the North York Moors and the Scottish Highlands (Guardian 2017).

It is also prevalent on the East Devon and Dorset commons, and pretty much anywhere in the south where deer roam and ramblers take pet dogs with them as mutts spread the ticks over wider areas than deer.

Earlier this week I was given a set of the new Compact Tick Tweezers from Lifesystems to review and publicise, so I will be carrying these on my keyring until winter sets in. They are not yet on the website, but tick removal tweezers are. After removing the tick, including the head, one should immediately clean the area with an alcohol wipe and then apply Anthisan cream or similar. Then see the doctor at the earliest opportunity. City doctors might not be clued-up on Lyme Disease but down in this neck of the woods, where deer have legs rather than supermarket plastic wrapping, it is not uncommon to see warning posters on the wall of medical facilities and tourist information offices.

It’s not difficult to remove a tick with your fingernails.

In general, the tick has to remain there for 24 hours for a significant risk of infection. The big adults aren’t much of a problem, because you see them. The tiny larval forms are the real risk, because you may not spot them.

Edited by Huw

U S Lyme disease tends to affect the joints, and that’s all most U.K. Doctors know about. Northern European Lyme disease tends to affect the nervous system, and most U.K. doctors know very little about it because most of the relevant publications are in German or Nordic languages.

I wanted to thank you for this post, a few weeks ago I developed a huge rash on my leg looking very similar to yours, I just put it down to a bad reaction to a bite even after it kept growing. Eventually it went from red to purple then went away but since I've been feeling really run down, achy etc but didn't link the two at all.

I saw your post this morning and it was a shock to say the least, I've now got an appointment next Tuesday at the doctors. The patch has mostly gone but hopefully they'll listen and we can work out whether it was or not.

I've always lived in cities so never really heard about this, but we've been going bird watching a lot, sometimes in places with long grass...

So thank you, if I hadn't seen this I might have never realised and never made that appointment!

A Shot in the Dark said

I wanted to thank you for this post, a few weeks ago I developed a huge rash on my leg looking very similar to yours, I just put it down to a bad reaction to a bite even after it kept growing. Eventually it went from red to purple then went away but since I've been feeling really run down, achy etc but didn't link the two at all.

I saw your post this morning and it was a shock to say the least, I've now got an appointment next Tuesday at the doctors. The patch has mostly gone but hopefully they'll listen and we can work out whether it was or not.

I've always lived in cities so never really heard about this, but we've been going bird watching a lot, sometimes in places with long grass...

So thank you, if I hadn't seen this I might have never realised and never made that appointment!

Birds and rodents carry deer ticks...

Huw I'm just ignorant in the ways of the world ;)

A Shot in the Dark said

Huw I'm just ignorant in the ways of the world ;)

My wife had chronic Lyme disease very severely - took about ten years to recover.

I fought the NHS for a very long time before we got it recognised.
Nobody without my qualifications and research experience would have stood a chance.
Eventually we sent blood samples to California and demonstrated Borellia DNA in her blood.

This was a few years ago, and they do recognise it better now.

Oh christ, thank god you spotted it as quickly as you did! My mum has a bit of a phobia about Lyme's Disease and regularly reminds me to be careful when going out into fields and grasses - clearly she's on to something! Hope you feel better soon, what an unfortunate place to be bitten too. This is definitely something that more people need to be aware of. 

Huw this is what I'm worried about because the rash patch has mostly gone now.

I'm really sorry about your wife and sorry you had to fight for something you shouldn't have to fight.

A Shot in the Dark said

Huw this is what I'm worried about because the rash patch has mostly gone now.

I'm really sorry about your wife and sorry you had to fight for something you shouldn't have to fight.

Take a copy of Rimosky's picture in, and say it looked exactly like this....   it's fairly classic.

Easily treated at this stage.    :)

I always message models to remind them about checking for ticks when they get home. It's common practice to exchange a message or two after a shoot to confirm that everyone got home safely and wrap things up in terms of admin anyway.

It is a problem, but it is also an area of scams.  Check the skin after being out, take ticks off if found, don't panic.

IrisFerret said

Oh christ, thank god you spotted it as quickly as you did! My mum has a bit of a phobia about Lyme's Disease

Lyme, after Lyme County Connecticut, where it was first described.  I'm not sure why the county is called that, but the disease is named for the place, not a person.