Summer brings more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, whether spending time in the backyard garden, exploring local trails or heading out for a weekend camping trip. However, along with warm weather comes the return of ticks, mosquitoes and other seasonal pests.
“From trails to backyards, we want families to stay aware of the risks tied to insect bites and take simple steps to stay healthy while enjoying summer,” said Crystal Hood, APRN, Baptist Health Medical Group Primary Care London.
Baptist Health is offering tips on how to identify insect bites, recognize symptoms of illness and take preventive steps, especially when it comes to ticks, which are common in many outdoor environments.
Knowing the source of a bite or sting can help determine whether medical care may be needed. While tick bites are often painless and may go unnoticed, pain and swelling can occur at the bite site. Common signs include a small red bump or rash at the site, a bullseye-shaped rash (often linked to Lyme disease) or swelling or discomfort that worsens over time.
To learn more about how to tell different bites apart and what they may indicate, visit, https://www.baptisthealth.com/blog/family-health/identifying-insect-bites.
To reduce your risk of tick bites this summer wear long sleeves and pants when in wooded or grassy areas, use insect repellent with DEET or another EPA-approved ingredient, shower soon after being outside to help remove any unattached ticks, check your body and clothing for ticks after time outdoors, keep your yard trimmed and remove leaf buildup where ticks may hide.
Hood added that individuals who develop a fever, rash, joint pain, fatigue, irregular heartbeat or other symptoms after a bite, or after spending time in areas where ticks are common, should contact a healthcare provider. Tick-borne illnesses can range from mild to severe, so it’s important to take any symptoms seriously.
