When people spend time outdoors, they can often overlook a potential health risk: tick bites. Ticks can be difficult to spot, and they carry many different diseases, so focusing on tick bite prevention is key. Today, we are going to be sharing some of our best tips to help you avoid tick bites and stay safe outdoors. Let’s get started:
1. Wear Protective Clothing
One of our best tips for tick bite prevention is to wear protective clothing, especially when spending time in wooded or grassy areas. There are clothing options that are specifically made to deter ticks, with tightly woven fibers and treated with insecticide, or you can simply opt for longer clothing and methods such as tucking your pants into your socks to make it more difficult for ticks to access your skin.
2. Use Bug Spray
Next up among our tips for tick bite prevention, we have applying bug spray before spending time in areas where ticks may live. According to the Global Lyme Alliance, some of the most proven ingredients that work to deter ticks include DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, and Permethrin. By applying bug spray to your clothing, shoes, and skin (depending on which type of bug spray you choose to use), you can help to lower your risk of tick bites.
3. Stay on Paths While Hiking
While you are outdoors, you can also help increase your chances of tick bite prevention by making sure to always stay on designated paths, especially taking care to avoid tall grass and dense foliage. Ticks prefer to live in areas with a great deal of plant life, as they make it easier for them to find passing animals or humans to latch onto. If you do have to pass through a section of dense brush while hiking, it is recommended that you stop for a moment and check your legs and shoes immediately afterwards.
4. Check Your Body
Another of our most essential tick bite prevention tips is to thoroughly check your entire body after you have spent time outdoors. Ticks can often be found near the ankles or lower legs, as they are most commonly picked up from tall grass or other foliage. However, in addition to the more obvious spots, ticks can hide in places such as the belly button, behind the ears, and on the scalp. This is why a thorough self-examination is important, with use of a mirror being recommended.
5. Shower After Coming Back Inside
The last of our tick bite prevention tips is to take a shower right after coming back inside. This is an extremely effective method of washing off any loose ticks that you may have picked up while outdoors. Additionally, when you change your clothes after taking a shower, you are minimizing the risk of having a tick on your clothing that will later bite you.
Tick Bite Treatment Options
If you do find a tick on your body and are concerned that it may have been there for more than a short time, there are treatment options available to help prevent disease. One of the most standard treatments is a dose of doxycycline, as it has been shown to be effective in lowering the risk of contracting Lyme disease after a tick bite. Another potential option is methylene blue, which has shown promise in helping to treat various tick-borne diseases. If you do suspect you have sustained a high-risk tick bite, immediately consult your physician.
We hope that these tips for tick bite prevention are useful to you. Remember, when spending time outdoors, it is important to be aware of the health risk that ticks can pose, as they carry many different diseases that can lead to a variety of complications. If you want to learn more about some of the issues that can be caused by tick bites, you can find out how Alpha-Gal syndrome can impact your sensitivity to various types of medication right here.
