We've seen some great weather this spring, and you've surely spent some time outdoors, but May long weekend feels like the official kick off to camping season in many ways.
Unfortunately, it's also a time of year where people need to be aware of ticks, the pesky small bugs that emerge at this time of year to bite and feed on the blood of humans and animals, sometimes transmitting disease.
With that in mind, Interior Health has issued a reminder ahead of the long weekend, urging people to be cautious while they enjoy the great outdoors during tick season.
“There are easy things you can do to protect yourself from ticks such as covering up before you head outdoors and checking for ticks when returning from a walk, hike or bike ride,” says Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, Interior Health’s medical health officer.
“Most tick bites do not result in illness; however, any bite from a tick should be cleaned because infection can occur whenever there is a break in the skin.”
Ticks have toxins that can cause temporary muscle weakness and paralysis if they are attached for several days, especially in children and seniors.
Once the tick is removed from the skin, symptoms will fade, but the signs of many tick-borne infections can be quite similar to those symptoms, like fever, headache, muscle pain and rash.
According to IH, one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of tick illnesses is to do a skin check on yourself and your children after being outdoors.
The health authority also urges people to follow these additional precautions:
If you do find a tick on yourself, a family member or a pet, IH says to wear gloves when removing it and be careful not to crush the tick as that could cause it to inject its stomach contents into your skin.
Other tips from IH on safely removing ticks include:
For more information on tick bites and the risks that come with them, click this link.
