The CSGA Links Vol 6 Issue 3 July, 2018 | Page 41

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Lyme Disease on the Rise : Ten Ways to Protect Yourself

Golf season is Lyme disease season , and experts are warning of unusually high numbers of ticks this year . What ’ s more , the season seems to be growing .
" The season for Lyme is expanding , partly as a result of climate change , partly as a result of the greater incidents of Lyme in ticks ," says Sen . Richard Blumenthal . Based on CDC estimates , approximately 30,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year in Connecticut , many of them golfers . “ Golf courses are the perfect habitat ,” says Gregory Owens of New York Medical College . “ Golfers scare away animals that usually prey on small rodents , so tick-harboring rodents flourish .”
The Global Lyme Alliance recommends these precautions :
1 . Be conscious of your exposure when looking for balls — or drop another .
2 . Avoid shady areas as much as possible . Ticks particularly like vegetation and tall grass in the shade .
3 . Spray repellent on exposed skin . Consumer Reports recently named Sawyer 20 % Picaridin its top insect repellent . Also top-rated were Ben ’ s 30 % DEET Tick & Insect Wilderness Formula and Repel Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus 30 %.
4 . Wear the right clothes : long khaki or light- colored pants tucked into long socks and long sleeved shirts . If possible , wear clothes pre-treated inside as well as outside with odorless permethrin , a repellent that kills ticks on contact . Find them at retailers such as Columbia , Insect Shield , L . L . Bean and REI .
5 . Spray your golf shoes the day before an outing with a permethrin-based repellent . In one study , shoes that were sprayed with the repellent provided 74 times more protection . 6 . Spray your golf bag , too , because it ’ s a common access point for ticks .
7 . After golf , strip off all clothing immediately upon your return home and put them through a six-minute dryer cycle at full heat . Ticks can survive the wash , but not the high heat .
8 . Shower , shampoo and do a thorough body check looking for ticks especially in body folds and crevices . Check everywhere , using mirrors if necessary , including behind the knees , back of the neck , behind and in ears , between toes , on the ankles , belly button , underarms , scalp , and genitals .
9 . Don ’ t panic if you find a deer tick . If it ’ s attached , take a pair of fine-tipped tweezers , clasp the tick as close to the surface of your skin as possible , and gently pull it straight out . Clean the area with soap and water , rubbing alcohol or an iodine scrub .
10 . Save the tick . Put the tick in a jar or sealed plastic bag , in case your doctor wants to see it , or flush it down the toilet . Some towns will test the tick for you , to see if it ’ s a Lyme carrier .
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