Lyme Disease on the Rise in Loudoun

"Lyme Disease, On The Rise in Loudoun"... these headlines have caught my eye in recent weeks. Being a country girl from Loudoun, I am pretty used to ticks being part of life. I've always had pets, always been in the fields and in the woods, and always been aware of the disease that ticks can carry. When I was young the big fear was Rocky Mountain "Lyme Disease, On The Rise in Loudoun"... these headlines have caught my eye in recent weeks. Being a country girl from Loudoun, I am pretty used to ticks being part of life. I've always had pets, always been in the fields and in the woods, and always been aware of the disease that ticks can carry. When I was young the big fear was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Today's fears revolve around Lyme Disease. Ticks carry these and many other diseases.

Lyme disease is really not a big deal if it is caught in time, so I am writing this post in hopes that many will see it, and anyone who gets it will be cured.

My daughter, a Kindergartener, was diagnosed yesterday. Saturday morning, she got a fever and was complaining of an upset stomach. By Saturday evening when I still couldn't figure out the origin of her symptoms, I admit to growing concern.

She was sitting on my lap, I was singing a silly song to her, and ran my fingers through her hair. She jumped! I pulled her hair back and this is what I saw! (see photo at bottom) She quickly reminded me this is where the deer tick (about the size of a flea) had been pulled from her head. Ahh... I knew a trip to the ER was in order.

Here's the scary part - the ER doc simply didn't look under her hair. She saw redness behind her ear and thought is was a skin rash from a skin infection or allergic reaction. I had seen lyme disease before... and so I was a little pushy. Had I not asked the doc to look again, and reminded her of the other symptoms (itchy, hot to the touch, swollen, sensitive, and red around a white "bulls eye" surrounding the bite site), it would have misdiagnosed, and possibly not treated appropriately. So, I am sharing the photo and this information.

Moms, trust your instincts. Blind trust can result in dangerous outcomes. Without proper treatment, lyme disease can cause all kinds of life long, and debilatating conditions.

Many people don't realize that symptoms and the visual evidence can take 1-6 weeks to surface; and blood tests done in the first 30 days are often a false negative. If you find a tick on yourself or your child, write it down somewhere - perhaps on a calender. Check the bite site weekly for 6 weeks or more for visual evidence of a problem. Report the tick bite to the doctor if you have any symptoms of ANY illness you get within about 90 days (or more if you think it could be related) - there are many diseases carried by these little things, and the symptoms vary widely.

For more information, including tips on preventing this; visit: http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=726Spotted Fever. Today's fears revolve around Lyme Disease. Ticks carry these and many other diseases.

Lyme disease is really not a big deal if it is caught in time, so I am writing this post in hopes that many will see it, and anyone who gets it will be cured.
"Lyme Disease, On The Rise in Loudoun"... these headlines have caught my eye in recent weeks. Being a country girl from Loudoun, I am pretty used to ticks being part of life. I've always had pets, always been in the fields and in the woods, and always been aware of the disease that ticks can carry. When I was young the big fear was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Today's fears revolve around Lyme Disease. Ticks carry these and many other diseases.

Lyme disease is really not a big deal if it is caught in time, so I am writing this post in hopes that many will see it, and anyone who gets it will be cured.

My daughter, a Kindergartener, was diagnosed yesterday. Saturday morning, she got a fever and was complaining of an upset stomach. By Saturday evening when I still couldn't figure out the origin of her symptoms, I admit to growing concern.

She was sitting on my lap, I was singing a silly song to her, and ran my fingers through her hair. She jumped! I pulled her hair back and this is what I saw! (see photo at bottom) She quickly reminded me this is where the deer tick (about the size of a flea) had been pulled from her head. Ahh... I knew a trip to the ER was in order.

Here's the scary part - the ER doc simply didn't look under her hair. She saw redness behind her ear and thought is was a skin rash from a skin infection or allergic reaction. I had seen lyme disease before... and so I was a little pushy. Had I not asked the doc to look again, and reminded her of the other symptoms (itchy, hot to the touch, swollen, sensitive, and red around a white "bulls eye" surrounding the bite site), it would have misdiagnosed, and possibly not treated appropriately. So, I am sharing the photo and this information.

Moms, trust your instincts. Blind trust can result in dangerous outcomes. Without proper treatment, lyme disease can cause all kinds of life long, and debilatating conditions.

Many people don't realize that symptoms and the visual evidence can take 1-6 weeks to surface; and blood tests done in the first 30 days are often a false negative. If you find a tick on yourself or your child, write it down somewhere - perhaps on a calender. Check the bite site weekly for 6 weeks or more for visual evidence of a problem. Report the tick bite to the doctor if you have any symptoms of ANY illness you get within about 90 days (or more if you think it could be related) - there are many diseases carried by these little things, and the symptoms vary widely.

For more information, including tips on preventing this; visit: http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=726
My daughter, a Kindergartener, was diagnosed yesterday. Saturday morning, she got a fever and was complaining of an upset stomach. By Saturday evening when I still couldn't figure out the origin of her symptoms, I admit to growing concern.

She was sitting on my lap, I was singing a silly song to her, and ran my fingers through her hair. She jumped! I pulled her hair back and this is what I saw! (see photo at bottom) She quickly reminded me this is where the deer tick (about the size of a flea) had been pulled from her head. Ahh... I knew a trip to the ER was in order.

Here's the scary part - the ER doc simply didn't look under her hair. She saw redness behind her ear and thought is was a skin rash from a skin infection or allergic reaction. I had seen lyme disease before... and so I was a little pushy. Had I not asked the doc to look again, and reminded her of the other symptoms (itchy, hot to the touch, swollen, sensitive, and red around a white "bulls eye" surrounding the bite site), it would have misdiagnosed, and possibly not treated appropriately. So, I am sharing the photo and this information.

Moms, trust your instincts. Blind trust can result in dangerous outcomes. Without proper treatment, lyme disease can cause all kinds of life long, and debilatating conditions.

Many people don't realize that symptoms and the visual evidence can take 1-6 weeks to surface; and blood tests done in the first 30 days are often a false negative. If you find a tick on yourself or your child, write it down somewhere - perhaps on a calender. Check the bite site weekly for 6 weeks or more for visual evidence of a problem. Report the tick bite to the doctor if you have any symptoms of ANY illness you get within about 90 days (or more if you think it could be related) - there are many diseases carried by these little things, and the symptoms vary widely.

For more information, including tips on preventing this; visit: http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=726