Tick Disease Prevention Warning

Online, April 13, 2011 (Newswire.com) - With tick season in full swing, doctors are urging the public to take preventive measures in order to safeguard their families from one of the highest carriers of harmful disease, second only to mosquitoes. While there is no way to 100% guarantee protection from ticks, there are several precautions families can take to help naturally prevent bites and decrease the risk of disease:

* Create tick-free zones. Ticks are active from spring through fall and prefer moist, humid environments such as tall brush or grass. Keep your lawn mowed and weeds to a minimum. Fence in your yard and move children's play areas far away from overgrown habitats.

* Wear light-colored and protective clothing. When spending time outdoors, keep as much skin covered as possible by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, sturdy shoes and a hat. Wearing lighter colors will make it easier to see if ticks are crawling on the outside of clothing, allowing you to easily remove the tick using masking tape.

* Apply natural insect repellents. Chemical-based lotions and sprays can pose a real danger to the health of your kids, your pet and yourself. In addition, these products do not completely wrap the user in a veil of protection, leaving untreated skin exposed to these ravenous insects. However, natural products like shoo!TAG™ help to provide lasting, chemical-free protection against ticks.

* Regularly clean and maintain your home. If your pet spends time both indoors and out, protect your family by thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing pet bedding. Don't forget to vacuum carpet and upholstered furniture on a daily basis.

* Execute daily checks. When spending time outdoors, check yourself, your children and other family members every two to three hours for ticks. Ticks seldomly attach quickly and rarely transmit disease unless they have been attached to the host for four or more hours.

So what do you do if you find a tick on yourself or a family member? While it's important to get these pests off quickly, it's equally as important to remain calm. Never try to remove a tick with your fingers. Doing so may leave part of the tick attached to the body as well as expose you to disease. Instead, grip the tick as close as you can to the skin with a pair of tweezers and pull it straight out without severing the head. Once removed, don't crush the tick, rather rinse it down a sink or flush it down a toilet. If your child shows any symptoms after the tick is removed, consult your physician immediately.

Ticks are often not taken as seriously as they should. Follow the tips above and you may save your pet and family some trouble ahead.

Source: Health New Digest

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