Imagine you are on a hike on a hot summer day and you look down to see a bug burrowing into your skin. It’s not painful, but it could be very dangerous.
"Most people will not notice that they’ve been bitten by a tick. They won’t even know that it’s on them,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County Health Officer.
The little creatures can transmit disease. According to the CDC, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States.
Although not common on the Central Coast, the more you are outside, the more you are at risk for exposure.
“We have two to three cases a year of Lyme disease,” Dr. Borenstein said.
“From a doctor’s point of view, the symptoms are variable between patients and there’s a tremendous amount of overlap with other illnesses,” said Dr. Scott Bisheff, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Emergency Room Physician.
Dr. Bishoff says often sees patients with an embedded tick, but you can also remove them on your own.
“You want to just try and grab it with tweezers and give it a gentle pull and try not to rip any of the parts off,” he said.
Ticks like to live in grassy, bushy, or wooded areas.
You should take precautions to avoid ticks but it should not prevent you from doing day-to-day activities.
Dr. Borenstein says it helps to wear long pants and shirts and it is important to check yourself when you get back from a hike or walk. Tick-repellent sprays are also available.
If you do suspect you have Lyme disease, tests will not show up positive for weeks.
“The most important thing to know, it has to be on the body for at least 24 hours to transmit,” Dr. Bisheff said.
"Or if you’ve had one of the telltale signs like a rash with a central clearing and redness around it, that would be a sign of Lyme disease, and you want to get treated before your test becomes positive,” Dr. Borenstein said.
According to the CDC, tick exposure can happen year-round but ticks are most active during the warmer months.
The CDC also estimates that as many as 476,000 people in the United States may get Lyme disease each year.
