As if parents don’t have enough to worry about with kids out on summer vacation. In addition to the potential for severe sunburns, scrapes and bruises from sibling sprinkler wars, and getting plowed over by overzealous kids wanting to be the first to jump into the pool, summertime also brings with it an increased risk of contracting Lyme disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 25,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the United States last year. So what does that mean if you are planning a summer camping trip or if your teen just landed a summer job as a landscaper? Should you just resign yourself to the fact that you will be spending part of the summer administering antibiotics to your family? No, but it does mean that you should take some precautions to protect your family from contracting this painful disease.
Doctors say to prevent Lyme disease you should avoid contact with soil, leaves, and vegetation as much as possible, especially during the months of June and July, when ticks have not yet matured and are harder to detect. Which is not to say that you should lock your children in your home for two months during the summer. Rather, experts recommend you do the following:
Clothing: When venturing in wooded areas that may be a breeding ground for ticks, make sure that your children are wearing enclosed shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Also, it’s a good idea to tuck pant legs into your child’s socks to prevent ticks from crawling up her legs.
Hair: If your child has long hair make sure it is pulled back or placed in a cap for added protection.
Stand: Don’t have your children sit on the ground in heavily wooded areas.
Inspect: Before returning home make sure to inspect your child for ticks outdoors.
Wash: After leaving tick-infested areas remember to wash your clothes in the hot water and bathe and shampoo your child thoroughly to eliminate any unseen ticks.
Insect repellent: Cover your child with insect repellents containing DEET, which can help to repel ticks. Health care experts recommend you choose repellents that contain at least 10% to 30% concentration of DEET. (Note: Products containing DEET are not recommended for children younger than 6 months.) DEET products can be used on exposed skin, as well as clothing, socks, and shoes, but should not be used on the face, under clothing, or on the hands of young children.
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