ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR
The bacteria borrelia burgdorferi is carried by ticks after biting infected woodland animals. It causes Lyme disease in humans if the biting tick stays attached for 36-48 hours. Removing the tick within 48 hours reduces your risk of getting it.
High-risk places for ticks include grassy and wooded areas. Living on shrubs, ticks can’t fly or jump, they grab on to you as you brush by, although not all ticks are infected.
Without early treatment, Lyme becomes an inflammatory condition affecting skin, joints and the nervous system, later affecting the heart and brain.
Tick bites aren’t always painful, and
