CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — As many head outdoors during the summertime, experts warn of the importance of checking for ticks in order to help prevent Lyme disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease in the United States any given year.
Regional assistant dean of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Jimmy Adams said if you’re unsure you were bitten by a tick it’s best to seek treatment sooner than later.
“If a person, let’s say I have headaches and joint aches and pains, flu-like symptoms actually,” Adams said. “And I see a red spot and I’ve been out of the woods, maybe I did or didn’t see a tick, I would call my family physician.”
Eyewitness News newscast director John Yoast, who was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, said a pounding headache was one of the first symptoms he experienced after being bitten.
“It was sort of flu and I wasn’t quite sure. I have allergies too. So, you know, I was like, I kind of had like a headache so I thought it was a sinus headache,” Yoast said. “Headache apparently is a really big sign.”
Adams said when it comes to Lyme disease, prevention is a crucial first step.
Some of those steps you can take to better protect yourself when you go outdoors include wearing long sleeves, long pants, using a repellent that has the chemical DEET in it and checking yourself when you come inside.
According to a study done by West Virginia University, Lyme disease cases in West Virginia have dramatically increased over the last decade. In 2016, there were 297 reported cases, and by 2021 the number of reported cases jumped to over 1,500.
Lyme disease can present itself in many ways apart from the flu-like symptoms, such as a rash, and in some cases a mark on the bite area that resembles a bullseye.
Adams said if it is diagnosed quickly enough the recovery period can be around three weeks.
“Then once the Lyme disease is confirmed, the person is treated with an antibiotic,” Adams said. “And the most popular would be Doxycycline or Amoxicillin.”
Yoast said getting diagnosed and treated soon after he began to feel sick was important to him due to the risks that come with Lyme disease.
“At first you really don’t know. You don’t want to be diagnosed with that but then at the same time you look at it and you say, well, the quicker I get this treated, the less long-term effects there can be,” Yoast said.
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