Q: I found a tick fastened to the back of my neck. It was engorged and came off pretty easy. Now my neck has a red spot on it where the tick was. Will I get Lyme disease?A: Probably not. In Georgia, the actual number of people who get Lyme disease compared to the number bitten by a tick is miniscule.
To become infected by Lyme disease, the tick (a deer or mouse tick) needs to be infected by the Lyme disease germ. The germ is then introduced into you while the infected tick painlessly dines on your blood. If you become infected from one to four weeks later, your initial symptoms might be as follows: fevers, muscle and joint aches and pains, flu-like symptoms, fatigue. Many, but not all persons developed a red rash that appears on one location of the body, disappears, and then seems to reappear somewhere else.
If recognized in this early stage, the disease is readily treatable with common oral antibiotics, such as penicillin or doxycycline. If the disease goes undiagnosed, symptoms later worsen. Months or years later, chronic symptoms set in, which include: memory loss, heart disease, arthritis, vascular abnormalities and an assortment of other vague symptoms (an often difficult puzzle for your doctor to sort out).
Many other diseases can seem similar to Lyme disease. A careful review of your history and symptoms by your Doctor may prompt diagnostic blood testing and treatment to prevent further progression of symptoms.
Helpful hints:
• How to remove a tick (and…how not to): There are as many home remedies for tick removal methods as there are for hiccups. But in this case, there is a best method. Using tweezers, grasp the tick close to the skin on its head. Slowly pull the tick straight out. Wash the site with warm water and soap, then rinse well. Other more familiar and often entertaining methods such as burning with a match, applying nail polish, or soaking with gasoline then using the match are definitely not advised, especially the latter. After removal, you can just throw the tick in the garbage, or flush it down the toilet. However, if you’re like me, you may find a momentary sense satisfaction prior to discarding the beast, by smashing it with a hammer.
• Watch the place where the tick bit you, and if redness or irritation persists, call your primary care MD.
• Take necessary precautions while outdoors, especially in the spring and summer, like wearing long pants, socks and boots. Check your body after any outdoor activity for ticks.
• The use of tick repellants including DEET can be helpful, but be careful noting that clothing treated with DEET can be harmful to your pets, like dogs and cats. Make sure to keep this material away from your four-legged friends.

www.firstmountainmedical.com