A strutting
tom is a sight to behold in the outdoors. The
gaudy, almost-theatrical display is yet another
reason why spring turkey hunting is one of
the fastest growing hunting sports in the nation.
I’m addicted to it. I admit it. But I’ve
also learned over the years that the spring
turkey hunting season coincides with another
season,
the not-so-friendly tick season. And spring
turkey hunters -- who routinely often sit
on the ground
for long periods, backs resting against trees
-- routinely open themselves up to exposure.
After a day in the woods, it is not uncommon
to be crawling with these pesky little devils.
Ticks, which can survive
in nearly every climate as long as there’s
adequate moisture, can bite year-round, but
the peak season
generally runs from early spring through the
fall. Ticks
are often active in warm-weather states
the entire
year.
For the most part, a wood tick
bite causes a small, itchy, irritated area
that disappears
in a few days. However, deer ticks,
which are
smaller than wood ticks (a deer tick
nymph is the size of a poppy seed),
carry Lyme
disease,
an ailment that, if left untreated,
has serious health consequences.
According
to the U.S. Health and Human Services,
Lyme disease is a multi-system
bacterial
infection caused by the bacterium spirochete
Borrelia burgdoferi
(Bb). Simply stated, spirochetes live
inside the bodies of wild animals and
are transmitted
from one animal to the next by the bite
of an infected tick. Unfortunately, humans
and
pets
often get caught in the deer tick food
chain.
Lyme disease was first recognized
in the United States in 1975, and has spread
far
and wide ever
since. In 2002 alone, infected deer
ticks caused more than 23,000 infections nationwide,
according
to the Centers of Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). There currently is
no vaccine against
the disease.
Lyme disease, which can
be transmitted in 24 to 48 hours, is often
extremely difficult to
detect, say health professionals.
That’s
because most people fail to realize
they’ve
been bitten until they start exhibiting
the early symptoms (rash, headaches,
fatigue and
muscle
and joint pain) of the disease.
If
the disease isn’t treated early
on with antibiotics, the bacteria
will move through the
infected person’s blood stream,
sometimes causing multiple rashes,
facial paralysis on
one side and an irregular heart beat.
Later stages of the disease – we’re
talking months, even years down the
road – can cause
chronic arthritis and various nervous
system problems.
The bottom line is
that you want to remove any tick
from your body
as soon
as possible.
That’s
critically important and especially
true for deer ticks.
What’s
the best way to remove a tick? Most
ticks that are caught quickly are
easy
to remove.
But some get imbedded deep into your
skin; removal can be difficult. Either
way, the Lyme
Disease
Foundation recommends using a pair
of tweezers, grasping the tick as
close to the skin as possible.
Then slowly pull the tick straight
out.
There’s a new product
on the market that you may want to
investigate for neat and tidy
tick removal. It’s called Rid-A-Tick,
a tick removal system developed by
Mel Jacobson of Minnetonka, MN.
The
Rid-A-Tick system is actually a quarter-sized
patch made from 3M
medical
tape that
has a “subtle
odor,” Jacobson said. The medical
tape is hypoallergenic and latex-free,
and has been
approved by the Food and Drug Administration,
Jacobson said.
To use, place the
patch over the embedded deer or wood
tick and gently
press
it into place,
making sure that no air can reach
the tick’s
body. Wait as long as 30 minutes
before removing the patch.
“
The combination of the odor and the lack
of oxygen will force the entire tick
to back out, most
often in five to ten minutes,” Jacobson
said. “To remove the tick,
fold the patch in half, which will
encapsulate the tick for
easy disposal. Some people have a
real phobia of ticks, but with the
patch you’ll
never have to touch them.”
While
the patch can’t stop
the spread of Lyme Disease, Jacobson
said the Rid-A-Tick
system
is a safe and easy way to get the
entire tick removed from your body.
In fact, full tick
removal is very important, because
health professionals say secondary
bacterial infections can arise
if parts of the tick are left embedded
in your body.
“
There has been a lot of interest in this
product,” said
Jacobson said. “People really
seem to like it.”
The spring
turkey season is one of the most
enjoyable times of year,
but the
danger of
tick exposure
is something that every hunter needs
to take precautions against. Enjoy
the outdoors,
but make sure to thoroughly inspect
yourself for
ticks after each day in the field.
It’s better to
be safe than sorry.
For more information, see
the Lyme Disease Foundation Web site at www.lyme.org.
For more information
on Rid-A-Tic patches, see www.rid-a-tick.com
or call 1-800-733-7115.
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