Looking forward to getting outside as the weather begins to cool this month? Planning a hike or maybe a hunting trip? Before you slip on your shoes and head out the door, make sure you are protected from ticks. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), tick-borne illnesses, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease, are on the rise. Seven counties in Alabama have been designated by the Alabama Department of Public Health as "endemic" for Lyme Disease, which indicates a constant presence of tick-related disease in these areas. The counties include Jefferson, Mobile, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, Russell, Calhoun and Chambers. If you think you can only get tick bites in the woods, think again. The Alabama Lyme Disease Association states that the threat of tick bites is greater than ever, especially in urban areas where the number of ticks is on the rise.

Tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme disease, can mimic hundreds of other diseases, including: MS, Lupus, ALS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Autism, ADHD, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other neurological disorders. That is why it is important to take measures to protect yourself when traveling or working in brush-filled areas and know what to do to stay healthy. 

How Does the Disease Spread?
There are hundreds of tick species that don't bother with humans and animals. Most ticks limit their host selection. However, nonselective ticks will feed on any accessible human or animal, spreading disease from one host to another.

The life purpose of a tick is to propagate the species through feeding and laying eggs. As a result, ticks have developed an innate sense when a potential host is in the area. They can also identify paths that are well traveled and set an ambush on their target-resting on tall grasses or plants to make their way onto the host.

 

Once a tick latches onto skin, it moves to the warm, moist spots, like the groin, armpit and head, leaving red welts behind. It administers a small dose of natural anesthetic, making it difficult for the human or animal to feel the bite. Many ticks secrete a cement-like substance to keep them firmly attached during the meal. Barbs located in their feeding tube also help keep the tick in place where it will feed for several days and grow up to five times larger than its normal size. It will then drop off the host. Female ticks use the blood to feed and nourish the 3,000 plus eggs she is capable of laying.

Symptoms 

If you feel you've been bitten by an infected tick, watch for fever/chills, aches, pains and rashes. The rash may look like a circular bull's eye, skin ulcer, general rash or spots that don't itch. Some may not get a rash, at all. Symptoms may not appear until a few days, weeks or months later. If you feel you may have become infected, see a doctor immediately. If you feel you're not getting the necessary treatment you need, get a second opinion. 

 

It takes less than 24 hours for a tick to spread disease into its host. So, if you do notice a tick that has latch onto your skin, remove it quickly: