Enjoy the outdoors safely
May is Lyme disease awareness month. Our Be Tick Aware campaign aims to raise awareness of how to prevent tick bites, how to safely remove ticks, and the importance of early treatment for people who become unwell, following a tick bite.
Help your visitors to ‘Be Tick Aware’!
As the weather improves, people are more likely to encounter ticks as they spend time outdoors at local visitor attractions, places of interest, grassland and parks. Help us to spread the word about tick bite prevention in your area:
- Share information on social media – follow us online, share our posts and download our social media toolkit for images, hashtags and post suggestions.You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and BlueSky.
- Update your website – does your website include tick bite prevention information? If not, include our prevention and symptoms information or content from our media kit.
- Newsletter articles – help your visitors to ‘be tick aware’ by including an article on tick bite prevention in your next newsletter.
- Display and share awareness literature – download or order hard copies of posters, leaflets and tick awareness cards.
How to prevent Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, usually caused by the bite of an infected tick. Ticks can be found in every county across the UK and can be as small as poppy seeds, so can easily be missed.
Tick bite prevention and correct removal is crucial when it comes to avoiding Lyme disease. There are a few simple steps you can take to reduce your chances of being bitten by a tick.
- Carry a tick removal tool with you at all times.
- Use insect repellent during outdoor activities.
- Avoid walking through long grass and stick to pathways.
- Tuck trousers into socks if walking in grassy, wooded and overgrown areas.
- Wear light-coloured clothing so you can spot and brush off any ticks.
- Check for ticks when you get home. Check children and pets too.
Remember that you could be exposed to ticks whenever you spend time outdoors, including in grassy areas, woodlands, parks, or even your own garden.
If you are taking part in a high risk activity, it is possible to buy pre-treated clothing from camping or outdoor activity shops that has been sprayed with the repellent permethrin. You can also spray clothing and shoes with this product yourself. Use repellents safely. Always read the label and product information before use.
Check your clothes and body for ticks when you are outdoors and again when you get home. Check children and pets too. Brush off any ticks that are unattached.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
A spreading round or oval rash around a tick bite can be an early symptom of Lyme disease. The rash can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks following a tick bite. It can last for several weeks.
Not everyone with Lyme disease develops a rash and it may be atypical in appearance. Initial symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, flu-like illness, facial palsy, migratory muscle and joint pain, nausea, and a stiff neck. Late or missed diagnosis can result in persistent and debilitating symptoms.
The disease can cause widespread symptoms which may be mistaken for other illnesses such as ‘summer flu’,
fibromyalgia, arthritis, myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and multiple sclerosis (MS).
If you have been bitten
- Never apply heat, oil or unsuitable products. These can irritate the tick and cause it to spread bacteria into the wound.
- Ideally use a tick remover tool (to avoid squashing the tick) or use fine-tipped tweezers.
If you have flu-like symptoms or a round/oval rash after time spent in grassy or wooded areas, contact your GP or 111 for treatment or advice.