Effectiveness of Personal Protective Measures to Prevent Lyme Disease

[rickb]

It certainly doesn't hurt to check but this particularly study showed that it is not an effective way to prevent Lyme disease.

What it showed was that the people who reported doing tick checks were as likely to get Lymes as the people who reported not doing them.

An astoundingly high percentage of people reported doing them, BTW.

I think the data also suggested that there was no relationship between hiking/camping and getting lymes. But I didn't read it too carefully, I'll admit.

[Appalachian Tater]

What it showed was that the people who reported doing tick checks were as likely to get Lymes as the people who reported not doing them.

An astoundingly high percentage of people reported doing them, BTW.

I think the data also suggested that there was no relationship between hiking/camping and getting lymes. But I didn't read it too carefully, I'll admit.

Do you know anyone who DOESN'T check themselves for ticks? Especially after finding one?

[highway]

What it showed was that the people who reported doing tick checks were as likely to get Lymes as the people who reported not doing them.

An astoundingly high percentage of people reported doing them, BTW.

I think the data also suggested that there was no relationship between hiking/camping and getting lymes. But I didn't read it too carefully, I'll admit.

My sister-in-law has never hiked or camped in her life yet came down with the disease. Regrettably, since she had not even been in the woods and was from an area in the deep south where Lyme was hardly known at all other than from books. She became progressively worse with her symptoms and it was therefore months before she was, 'for the heck of it' tested for it. She told me she was ready to die before taking that first pill of Doxycycline (sp?) She also said she never had a tick upon her body.

I still believe whether one gets it or not is only a 'luck of the draw'. More importantly, though, is what to do AFTER contracting it because that is where it will make the difference in your future-not before you get it...if you do at all!

[Appalachian Tater]

My sister-in-law has never hiked or camped in her life yet came down with the disease. Regrettably, since she had not even been in the woods and was from an area in the deep south where Lyme was hardly known at all other than from books. She became progressively worse with her symptoms and it was therefore months before she was, 'for the heck of it' tested for it. She told me she was ready to die before taking that first pill of Doxycycline (sp?) She also said she never had a tick upon her body.

I still believe whether one gets it or not is only a 'luck of the draw'. More importantly, though, is what to do AFTER contracting it because that is where it will make the difference in your future-not before you get it...if you do at all!

It is caused by a spirochete, like syphilis. It might be spread by other biting insects or even through sexual contact.

[highway]

It is caused by a spirochete, like syphilis. It might be spread by other biting insects or even through sexual contact.

Really?

And then on what part of one's anatomy might the bulls-eye rash appear?

[Appalachian Tater]

Really?

And then on what part of one's anatomy might the bulls-eye rash appear?

The bulls-eye rash may or may not appear at all. If it does appear, the rash might not be in an enlarging bulls-eye pattern. Furthermore, it can appear on any part of the body, at the bite, or elsewhere. I have read a lot of conflicting information about how often there actually is a rash but it is definitely nowhere near 100% of the time.

People who are looking for a bulls-eye rash at the site of a known tick bite to determine whether or not they have Lyme disease are basing their actions on incorrect assumptions.

[Critterman]

What it showed was that the people who reported doing tick checks were as likely to get Lymes as the people who reported not doing them.

An astoundingly high percentage of people reported doing them, BTW.

I think the data also suggested that there was no relationship between hiking/camping and getting lymes. But I didn't read it too carefully, I'll admit.

I did read it and there were a few things that I wondered about. They admit women are over represented in the controls. They assume an equal distribution of Lymes over the area from which they drew the controls and I know that isn't the case in Northern Virginia. They said it was statistically not significant but 78% of the Lymes dz cases had pets to 12% of the controls. That implies a different lifestyle as a larger % of the pet owners might be exposed to ticks because of the pet and are probably more likely to be out walking in their neighborhood.

[Critterman]

It is caused by a spirochete, like syphilis. It might be spread by other biting insects or even through sexual contact.

It is a rickettsia and not related to syphilis, although it may be possible that other vectors spread it, it is not a venereal disease

[Appalachian Tater]

Supposedly the spirochetes have been found in sperm, mother's milk, umbilical cord blood, and vaginal secretions.

It has been transmitted through the placenta to unborn children.

There have been no studies that show that it has been sexually transmitted, but some believe that it may be. Lyme disease is not completely understood and any conclusion about it not being sexual transmitted is premature.

[Critterman]

Supposedly the spirochetes have been found in sperm, mother's milk, umbilical cord blood, and vaginal secretions.

It has been transmitted through the placenta to unborn children.

There have been no studies that show that it has been sexually transmitted, but some believe that it may be. Lyme disease is not completely understood and any conclusion about it not being sexual transmitted is premature.

It is not a spirochete, it is a rickettsia. The CDC says it is not transmitted sexually. There is no evidence it can be transmitted by sex. Rickettsia are transmitted by ticks, fleas, lice etc. when they bite a host.

[Blue Jay]

Do you know anyone who DOESN'T check themselves for ticks? Especially after finding one?

Highway and many others, seem to think that a blind feel won't work, when that is exactly the best way to find them. Run your hand along your skin. Any piece of "dirt" that won't rub of or smear is almost always a tick. Sight does not work well at all because they are so small. A blind person would most likely be the best tick checker.

[Blue Jay]

Really?

And then on what part of one's anatomy might the bulls-eye rash appear?

In many cases the bulls-eye rash never appears. All of the people I know who contacted the disease NEVER had that rash.

[orangebug]

It is not a spirochete, it is a rickettsia. The CDC says it is not transmitted sexually. There is no evidence it can be transmitted by sex. Rickettsia are transmitted by ticks, fleas, lice etc. when they bite a host.

"Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by the deer tick..." From The American Academy of Family Physicians

[orangebug]

BTW, the point is that no one does tick checks in a fashion that is effective. While probably not provable, I'd recommend a discipline of a sponge bath/bandana bath at least every 2 days.

[Blue Jay]

BTW, the point is that no one does tick checks in a fashion that is effective. While probably not provable, I'd recommend a discipline of a sponge bath/bandana bath at least every 2 days.

This is an excellent idea. I should have mentioned it.

[highway]

In many cases the bulls-eye rash never appears. All of the people I know who contacted the disease NEVER had that rash.

This was said tongue in cheek to the poster's suggestion that Lyme could be transmitted sexually, which I doubted then, but was curious about said poster's imaginative answer as to which particular part of one's anatomy the rash would radiate from.

I know of only one recipient of Lyme and she had no rash either. But then, she is not convinced she ever had a tick, either.

[Appalachian Tater]

This was said tongue in cheek to the poster's suggestion that Lyme could be transmitted sexually, which I doubted then,

I said it might be. There is not enough information to make final conclusions about all possible methods of transmission.

[RenoRoamer]

Dr Sarno suggests that Lyme diseas is often misdiagnosed. True, Lyme disease is a real ailment. However, it is something many of us naturally recover from, and after we recover, there will be lyme antibodies in our system but we will be cured. However, if we are under stress, we may give ourselves back and muscle aches of all sorts, and then incorrectly blame Lyme disease for these mysterious aches and pains. The real cause is the stress and tension and not the Lyme disease, which we long since recovered from. So we go to a doctor for treatment for these aches and pains, and the doctor notices we have Lyme antibodies and so treats us for Lyme disease with doxycyclien. If the treatment works, then maybe we really did have Lyme disease. But if the treatment fails, that suggests that it was really just tension causing the aches and pains and the Lyme antibodies are misleading.

Something to think about. I'm still planning to be vigilant against ticks myself on my SOBO (one good thing about a SOBO is you avoid most of the nymph ticks and only have to worry about adult ticks).