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Everything you need to know about ticks and Lyme disease -- and how to protect yourself

An adult female (left) and nymph tick (Getty Images)
An adult female (left) and nymph tick (Getty Images)

Jim Wilson was dumbfounded by a large rash around his navel back in the spring of 1991. Within a few months he was having trouble walking, talking, and remembering. Several doctors’ visits and three years later, Wilson was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, which he’d contracted from a tick bite.

Wilson says he “got his life back” after being treated successfully with antibiotics. Now living in Kelowna, B.C. he went on to found the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation (CanLyme), which aims to raise awareness of ticks and the bacteria they carry.

“It was horrible to think a little tiny tick can do that much harm that affects so many systems of the body,” Wilson says. “It affected my sight, hearing, brain, breathing, joints, muscles, and nerves. I had spasms and seizures. It was terrible.”

A serious illness caused by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, Lyme disease is one of the most rapidly emerging infectious diseases in North America, according to a 2014 statement before the parliamentary committee by Steven Sternthal, acting director general of the Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, a division of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Branch.

“It is impacting our most densely populated regions,” Sternthal told the committee. “We anticipate the disease will affect over 10,000 Canadians per year by the 2020s.”

Also see: Bit by a tick? What you need to know (and the diseases to look out for)

And with new research that Canada's changing climate is bringing more ticks and Lyme disease to Canada, the threat is more prevalent than ever.

It can be difficult to detect a tick or know you’ve been bitten. During its nymph stage, a tick is only about the size of a period at the end a sentence. Ticks can also be the size of a pea. Many people are infected by nymph ticks, but don’t suspect Lyme disease because they don’t recall being bitten; bites are usually painless. CanLyme says that 50 per cent of those who are infected don’t remember being bitten (including Canadian signer Avril Lavigne, who revealed her battle with Lyme disease earlier this year).

Chrissy Teigen posted this photo of what she later discovered to be a tick bite. (Instagram)
Chrissy Teigen posted this photo of what she later discovered to be a tick bite. (Instagram)

One of the most outwardly recognizable symptoms of a tick bite is a rash. Last year, model Chrissy Teigen posted a photo of a rash on her chest on Instagram. "Well, the aliens got me!" she joked. Comments poured in saying it may be a tick bite -- and turns out it was.  However, while it's indeed an indicator, CanLyme emphasizes that less than 50 percent of people who have been bitten will get any kind of rash. 

Blacklegged ticks are active all year round. Misdiagnosis of Lyme disease is common, since symptoms mimic those of so many other conditions.

According to CanLyme, the first physical signs of Lyme infection are often flulike symptoms such as sore throat, headaches, congestion.

Other symptoms of Lyme disease include:

  • Unexplained hair loss

  • Twitching of facial or other muscles

  • Stiff or painful neck or jaw

  • Double or blurry vision

  • Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes

  • Buzzing or pain in ears

  • Diarrhea or constipation

  • Muscle pain or cramps

  • Shortness of breath

  • Night sweats or unexplained chills

  • Extreme fatigue

  • Mood swings or irritability

  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep

  • Confusion

Blacklegged ticks are most often found in forests and the overgrown areas between the woods and open spaces. According to the Government of Canada, they are most abundant in southern British Columbia; southeastern and south-central Manitoba; southern, eastern and northwestern Ontario; southern Quebec; southern New Brunswick and Grand Manan Island; and parts of Nova Scotia.

Also see :Ticks are early, abundant and urban this year

It’s not just hiking in the bush where people can be exposed to ticks. You can come into contact with them while doing any outdoor activities, such as gardening, golfing, or camping.

If you find an attached tick on you (some people recommend running  a lint brush over yourself to catch any ticks you may not be able to see with the naked eye) or feel unwell after outdoor activities where ticks could be present, see a health professional immediately.

You can pull a tick out yourself if you’re careful, according to CanLyme. If you have a pair of fine pointed tweezers and a steady hand, you can grasp the tick’s mouthparts, not the body, and slowly pull the tick straight out. Many outdoor stores sell tick-removal tools. 

Even better, reduce the chance of ticks biting or attaching to you in the first place by doing the following:

  • Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed-toe shoes. Tuck your pants into your socks.

  • Wear light-coloured clothing to make it easier to spot ticks, and check your clothes and your body often. Ticks will look for exposed skin and favour places like belly buttons, groin, and hair.

  • Avoid low-lying brush or long grass. Walk in the middle of pathways or trails.

  • Apply insect repellent to your skin and clothing, especially at the openings such as ankles, wrists, and neck.

  • Shower or bathe within two hours of being outdoors to wash away loose ticks.

If you still feel unwell weeks or months after possible exposure to a tick, CanLyme suggests seeking second or even third medical opinions.