Welcome to Healthy Tips! Every other month we will post useful health care tips for women here on our website. These will cover topics of interest to women of all ages. We hope you find the information helpful.
Well-Woman Care
Protect Yourself From Lyme Disease
Because of the mild winter, this year promises to be one of the worst ever in terms of ticks. Biologists from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Maine and New Hampshire were already finding an abundance of ticks as early as March. Not only that, but the CDC said that they have found three times more ticks than they usually find this early in the season.
The abundance of ticks, especially deer ticks, is a concern because these ticks carry Lyme Disease. Maine is now ranked third in the nation in terms of the number of cases of Lyme Disease, and New Hampshire is seventh, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Lyme disease can cause long-lasting complications and may require antibiotics as treatment. It is spread by the bite of the deer tick, a tiny rust and black tick no bigger than a sesame seed.
While wooded areas carry the greatest abundance of ticks, even suburban yards can have ticks. The reason is that wildlife, including deer, are still in close proximity. Deer ticks also travel from deer to other animals, such as chipmunks, which are in abundance in our numerous stonewalls. Any outdoor area should be considered potential deer tick habitat.
Ticks are active spring through fall, with the time of greatest risk being May through August. Juvenile ticks are most active at this time and very hard to see. Tick precautions, however, should be in place from the time the snow leaves until the frost.
No one wants to spend the nice weather inside, and indeed, it is important for all of us to get outdoors. Just be sure to take precautions against tick bites.
Reduce Your Exposure
* When walking in the woods, wear long pants, boots and socks, as well as a long-sleeved shirt.
* Tuck your pants into your boots.
* Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks show up more easily if they get on your clothes.
* Wear insect repellant designed to repel ticks. Those that contain DEET are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, but there are also natural alternatives. Visit www.skindeep.com or Google “natural insect repellants” for other options.
* If you are pregnant, it is best to avoid mosquito- or tick-infested areas. If you cannot avoid these areas, then spray insect repellant on your clothes rather than your skin. If you do use a repellant with DEET, use the family or child dose on your skin, and wash off the repellant as soon as possible.
* If you are working in your yard, especially if raking brush or leaves or working near the woods or stonewalls, dress as noted above.
* Before coming inside, ALWAYS check yourself for ticks on your clothes.
* Shower within two hours of being outside.
How to Perform a Tick Check & Remove a Tick
Performing tick checks, showering and wearing tick repellant are good practices to adopt even if you are just out in your yard. When performing a tick check, use a full-length mirror and be sure to examine your scalp and hairline, under your arms, your belly button, behind your knees, between your legs, and around your abdomen.
If you discover a tick, use tweezers and pull the tick straight out, then disinfect the area. If you find a tick already biting you, remove the tick and save it to show your doctor. If you have a rash or fever after a tick bite, see your doctor right away.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Symptoms of Lyme Disease include a bull’s eye rash around the tick bite, fever, lethargy, achiness, joint pain or swelling and headache. However, it is important to note that you can have Lyme Disease without these symptoms. You can also have been bitten by an infected deer tick and NOT have the rash at the bite. If you have been bitten by a tick, see your primary care physician. The sooner treatment is begun, the better your chances for a speedy recovery.
Protect Your Clothing, Pets & Yard
If you work outdoors, or have been working in a brushy area or with piles of leaves, putting your clothes in the dryer on high heat will kill ticks lingering on your clothes.
You can reduce the likelihood of coming in contact with ticks by keeping your grass mowed, and removing brush and leaf piles from your yard. Be sure to also take measures to discourage deer, who carry the ticks that cause Lyme Disease.
Last, many ticks come into the house on the fur of our pets. Talk with your veterinarian about safe tick repellants to use on your animals.
Your Kids & Lyme Disease
Kids want to play outside, so it can be hard to protect them from ticks, but a few precautions can help.
* Keep swing sets and other play items away from woods, brush piles and stonewalls.
* If kids do go for walks in the woods, follow the clothing guidelines listed earlier.
* Ask your pediatrician about safe bug sprays. Little kids tend to put their hands in their mouths, rub their eyes, etc. so you need a spray that protects but is safe.
* Teach them to also check for ticks and always do a tick check when they come back indoors.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov.
For more information about Partners for Women’s Health, call (603) 778-0557.
Obstetrical Tips
Watch for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
If you are pregnant, and have pain or numbness in your wrist when you perform simple tasks, then you may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or CTS, is the compression of a major nerve as it passes through the narrow tunnel of bone and ligaments in the wrist. The compression can be caused by many things, but in the case of pregnant women, it is usually caused by edema, or swelling of the wrist tissues. Usually, when the edema subsides post-pregnancy, the carpal tunnel subsides as well.
However, during your pregnancy, there are steps you can take to reduce the symptoms of carpal tunnel. First, get it treated right away. The sooner it is treated, the better your chance of finding relief and avoiding permanent wrist damage. Following are a few of the recommendations for coping with CTS.
* Keep your wrist in a neutral position. Try to avoid keeping your wrist in flexed, extended or twisted positions for any length of time. Try to maintain a neutral or straight position.
* Watch your grip. Gripping, grasping or lifting with the thumb and index fingers puts stress on your wrist. When practical, use your whole hand to grasp an object.
* Rest your hands periodically throughout the day.
* Avoid repetitive movements.
* Build strength. Your doctor may suggest a series of exercises to help build your hand and arm muscles so the wrist doesn’t do as much work.
Your doctor may recommend night splints or occupational splints that will help keep your wrist in a neutral position while you sleep or while you work. Medications may be prescribed to help reduce pain and inflammation. Treatment of the edema may also be discussed.
Remember, if you suffer from persistent pain or numbness, ask your doctor. Carpal tunnel syndrome only gets worse. Early treatment can allow you to function with ease.
For more information about Partners for Women’s Health, call (603) 778-0557.