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- 30 Aug
Why bother protecting yourself from ticks?
There is a lot in the press now with celebrities such as Matt Dawson of England rugby fame, outlining the devastating effect of Lyme Disease.
Many other celebrities have come forward saying they have or are recovering from the disease.
While we all read about them in the news, there are thousands of others that have suffered and are still suffering with the disease and its co-infections years after being bitten.
You can get bitten anywhere.
You can now get Lyme Disease from mosquitos as well as ticks. The geographical spread is now vast. Some say it is due to the increase in the Deer population. Whatever the cause of the spread, one thing for sure is that it is becoming a massive problem.
There are now signs up in many public parks such as Great Windsor Park. For all that give the warning, there are hundreds of places that do not.
You don’t need to be trailing through deep woodland to get bitten, it can happen anywhere.
Finding your way back to health is like being dropped in to a maze wearing a blindfold.
Matt has had to have two heart surgeries as a result of being bitten by a tick in a London park. Despite going to his doctor at the time with the tell tale red bulls eye rash, the bite was dismissed by his GP. (Many people do not get the rash at all).
This is a serious illness that kills
Living with Lyme gives you constant pain in your muscles, joints and neck, a burning sensation on the inside of legs, hands and arms, tingling and numbness, headaches, a sore throat, chronic debilitating fatigue, inability to sleep, memory loss, blurred vision, brain fog, inability to concentrate, exhaustion, pain during any kind of physical activity, and for a lot of people – depression. All of that rolled up into one very unhealthy package.
Your whole world turns up side down with this devastating disease. Normal life disappears. You can’t work, go out or take part in any kind of activity. Your world shrinks. Who you used to be no longer exists.
Imagine the worst flu virus you have ever had and times it by 10. Then imagine waking to every day for years feeling like that. Many people go to develop problems with their liver, thyroid, brain and heart.
People are losing their lives to this devastating disease.
There is no specific cure.
There are no treatments on the NHS other than long-term anti-biotics, which ultimately compound to reduce your overall immunity. Everyone has their own cocktail of co-infections and personal history of health so treatment becomes even more complex.
Getting well costs an enormous amount of money as people desperately pay for private appointments in the vague hope that someone can help. Many cannot afford to do that so feel chained to their illness with little hope of ever becoming fully well.
I am over two and a half years in with this dreadful disease.
I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Please protect yourself, your family and your pets.
If you are out walking tuck your trousers in to your socks, wear long sleeves and insect repellant. Be careful when you take your clothes off as they may attach to your skin that way.
The best way to remove a tick is with a tick remover. (You can use a tweezers but be really careful that you don’t leave any part of the tick in you).
Here are a couple of links to tick removers on Amazon.
(If you follow the links and do make a purchase, then I get a small percentage of the sale. All the money will go to charities for Lyme Disease).
Stay safe and be well.
Janice Haddon
