I was really in a bad place.”Īnderson said the issues reached the point that he joined a Lyme disease group. The best way I could describe it is it felt like I had explosions going on all over my body. “Then I had panic attacks and never had those before. “I had all kinds of weird symptoms, this thing called air hunger where I would wake up and be completely out of breath,” Anderson said. Severe joint pain began in his knees a few days later and the symptoms began to escalate through time, Anderson said. Soon after the bite, he developed a rash in his abdomen and flu-like symptoms. At the time, he didn’t associate them with Lyme disease and didn’t begin treatment until more than two years later. Marin County park ranger Grifin Anderson said he was one of the unfortunate people who developed long-term Lyme disease symptoms after getting bitten by a tick while mountain biking in the San Geronimo Valley in high school. For most people, antibiotic treatment will be effective, but Giampa said about 20% of cases continue to experience symptoms for months if not years after. Centers for Disease Control.ĭiagnosing Lyme disease early can mean the difference between a few weeks of antibiotic treatment and potentially chronic symptoms. Removing a tick within 24 hours of a bite can greatly reduce the chances of contracting Lyme disease, according to the U.S. Additionally, some of the telltale symptoms of Lyme disease infection, such as a bull’s-eye rash around the bite mark, do not show up in all infected people. The bacteria causing Lyme disease leaves the bloodstream quickly compared to other bacteria and harbors itself in fatty tissues, ligaments and joints, according to Giampa. Giampa said testing the tick is the best way to learn whether one is at risk of infection because other diagnostic tests such as blood tests are unreliable and often miss about half of positive Lyme disease cases. The Marin County Department of Health and Human Services and private services perform the tests. While it might be tempting to toss the parasite in the trash or flush it down to the local sewage system, Giampa said the best course of action is to keep the tick and get it tested for diseases as soon as possible. “Grasp it on the body and mouth part and pull straight out,” Sequeira said. The best way to remove a tick from skin is using fine-tipped tweezers. Giampa recommends that people toss their hiking or biking clothes in the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes first before washing them. After returning home, a shower or bath is also a good time to check other areas. After a hike or mountain bike, Sequeira said, it is important to check clothes, exposed skin and pets for ticks. Staying on manicured trails can also reduce the chances of tick contact. “Wear long sleeves and long pants and make sure they’re light-colored because it’s easier to spot the ticks,” said Nizza Sequeira of the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District. One study by the foundation in 2018 found 38% of surveyed ticks at China Camp State Park had the bacteria. Studies conducted by the foundation and the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District tend to find that 3-5% of ticks in Marin have the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. It is around February and March that young ticks, known as nymphs, are beginning to come out - especially after rain - and search for an animal or human leg to hop on for a meal. Tick season is basically year-round in Marin, but the most activity occurs from October through July, according to the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District. The small, blood-sucking arachnids prefer moist, foggy areas in the grasslands and chaparral. Marin is among the counties in California with the highest prevalence of ticks carrying Lyme disease, said Linda Giampa, executive director of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation. With Marin residents taking advantage of the clear weather following recent storms, so are the ticks that carry bacteria that can cause Lyme disease and other illnesses.
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