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Hello everyone,
I know there's many threads about this already but I'm a little freaked out about all this Lyme disease stuff....My husband and I moved from Omaha, Nebraska for work about 2 weeks ago, we don't really worry about ticks in Nebraska but we have been hearing a lot about this...I am so scared of getting it that I'm thinking of never going out of my house, or at least to never, ever walk in the grass, or go hiking, or be outside at all....it sucks because I love the outdoors but I love my life more...however, I know it's impossible for me to not go outside ever...We're also planning to get a puppy but now I'm afraid that he will bring ticks into the house that could make us sick...I understand not all ticks carry Lyme but that a big percentage of them do...i also read about doing tick checks and all that but then some people sayng they didnt even know they were bitten!!!! OMG it freaks me out! I was even crying because Im scared ( i know Im overdoing it a little) ...we will be living in the North Manchester area and our apartment place has a lot of woods around, like most of NH. I just wanna know, are there people out there that have lived here all their lives and have never gotten it? All I read/hear are horror stories of how Lyme's disease destroyed their lives and they didn't even know they had it....it kinda makes me wanna move back to Nebraska
Should I not get a dog?
Go outside. Get a dog. Live life as you normally would and don't worry about every single disease in the universe that you could possibly contract. The percentage of the population in NH that has contracted Lyme disease is 0.00092%. Do you realize how small that number is?
Granted, it's a larger number than most other places in the country, and it's a number that deserves addressing, but it should in no way affect the way you live your life. Your odds of contracting Lyme disease are roughly the same odds as you dying by drowning, and you are about 13 times more likely to die in a car crash than you ever are to contract the disease - the difference being, of course, that only one human being's death has ever been attributed to Lyme, and, in the vast majority of cases, it is a curable and preventable disease.
I don't cite these statistics to make you afraid of driving a car, but to prove a point: would you avoid driving altogether or going for a swim just because of these risks? As with any activity with possible risks, you take very basic precautions: if you're not wearing pants, check your legs after walking through tall grasses or leafy bushes (you can easily enjoy your yard or go on a hike without ever stepping directly into this kind of vegetation). If you notice a tick, do not panic: follow the correct procedure for removing them.
Always remember that only certain species of ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme, and that the majority of them are not infected. Remember that ticks need to be biting you for 36-48 hours before they can transmit the infection, and with a thorough scrub during your daily shower it's unlikely that you will miss them. And again, if you notice symptoms, the disease is easily curable in its early stages.
But I don't want you to even think about the possibility of getting Lyme. I want you to think about living your life.
You never hear much about the people who didn't get Lyme or got Lyme and then took medicine and were fine. You only hear the "bad" cases because, well, why would anyone bring up "I got Lyme, took medicine, it went away"...not much to share really. The majority of individuals who contract Lyme- end up being ok; but why would these people share their stories?
Here's my advice:
For the Dog- There is a new-ish tick/flea treatment (like Frontline) called Vectra; it's available from your vet and the big plus is it repels fleas/ticks as well (doesn't just kill them). Our dog used to get tons of ticks (we hike/go into the woods/fields a lot) and they'd just die...now (with Vectra) she gets none. It is competitively priced with the other treatments...we'll keep using it.
For your yard- you can treat it; this will also help with the mice/squirrels/chipmunks running through your yard and help kill off those ticks.
For you- use a deet based spray when you can on your clothes and check yourself for ticks. It takes 36+ hours in most cases for Lyme to even transfer from the tick to you. I know nymph stage Deer ticks are small...but a little precaution goes a LONG way.
Lyme sounds really scary, for some people it is. Just like for some people a bee sting, peanut butter, shellfish, etc- are really scary. Saying your chances of suffering "chronic pain" from a car accident (or other accident) are dramatically greater than having it from Lyme disease may not make you feel better...but it is a fact.
In short...don't panic, don't cry, don't feel bad, don't move back, don't not get a dog. Ticks are something that can be repelled or otherwise dealt with...just use some common sense and you will be fine. If you're from Nebraska I believe you actually were more likely to be injured by farm machinery than to suffer chronic effects from Lyme- but you left your home there.
Please don't take my "here's a statistical example" as downplaying Lyme's impacts- I merely want to give you some perspective compared to other risks in your life. Lyme is probably more scary because its from little ticks that are seemingly everywhere, etc...but more fear doesn't mean more actual risk.
Oh- and if you're going to be frolicking in fields/woods, etc...it's really a good idea to wear pants anyway because of briars and the like- not just ticks. LL Bean makes some really nice lightweight ones that you will stay cool in during the summer.
Don't worry too much. Keep your yard mowed, don't let it get overgrown. That will help alot. You can treat the yard with bug killers you can disperse in spreaders.
Spend the money to get a bug spray with DEET in it. If you are going hiking, be reasonable about checking your ankles/legs before and after. I've lived here for 28 years now and have never had a tick bite that I know of. If I had it never developed into anything.
Also, use common sense precautions when hiking in the woods. Stay on trails and wear proper clothing with socks tucked into pants. Do a quick check for ticks when coming indoors as well.
Thanks a lot to everyone who replied! It's very good advice and information! Its good to hear from some people that have lived here forever and never had a problem with Lyme. The internet makes it seem like everyone one will get it at some point in their lives and that your life is doomed forever if you do get it...I will certainly check myself and my dog, husband, etc ....and I will try to enjoy life and the beautiful NH outdoors blessings to everyone!
After recenting getting 12 ticks on me while on a serfvice call in Harvard mass, I spoke with my dr about it. A tick has to remain attatched to you for a minimum of 36 hrs to transmit the desease. Stand in front of the mirror and do a tick check before showering.
7 more months to go before I'm permanently in NH again, but.. DH goes walking every day here in MD - usually outside, often under trees. He has in the past come home occasionally with ticks we've had to remove, but he's never had a problem from it. Lately he's been spraying his clothes before he goes walking and there have been no ticks (he also wears a ball cap which protects his hair from anything - well, did protect it when he had hair). Tons of people have dogs - you want a dog? get a dog!
As BF said, all you hear are the horror/precautionary stories because they are good precautions and they make better press than "I went hiking, got a tick, but I was fine" (ok, not to diminish Lyme disease, because it can be horrible and knowledge is a good thing, but don't let the scare rule your life) - just like childbirth stories. All you hear is 'I was XX hours/days in labor..' and then how horrible it all was; yet these same people have more than 1 child, and the majority of people keep having children. It doesn't stop them. ticks shouldn't stop you, just be aware they are part of the environment.
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blessings to everyone!
