Common Sense on Lyme Disease

Although the risk of infection remains small, Los Angeles County health officials warned outdoor enthusiasts this month to take special care against Lyme disease. A Lyme-infected Western black-legged tick was found on a hiker who had been in Topanga State Park, confirming what health authorities have long suspected--that the disease has spread into local mountains.

Left untreated, Lyme disease can have devastating effects, including chronic pain and neurological damage. Yet the discovery should not cause panic. Rather, it alerts hikers and mountain bikers to take sensible precautions when using trails. Plus it may help doctors in diagnosing the disease. Symptoms include pain in the joints, fatigue, headache and facial paralysis. It’s easy to confuse the symptoms with those of other ailments--particularly if doctors don’t think Lyme disease is a possibility.

Roughly 90% of Lyme disease cases in the United States are still found in the Northeast, where it was first diagnosed in 1975. Just 1% to 2% of ticks in California carry the bacteria, compared to 90% in some East Coast areas. And the number of California cases has dropped yearly since 1990, although no one is sure why.

A few precautions can reduce the risk of infection. Hikers should wear long, light-colored clothing and tuck pants into socks. Spray clothing with insect repellent. Stay out of long grass. Check for ticks after outdoor activity, and use sharp tweezers to pull out any found. Dog owners should check their animals as well because Lyme disease can cause arthritis in pets. A few days or weeks after a tick bite, if a bull’s-eye rash around the bite and flu-like symptoms appear, see a doctor. Early on, Lyme disease is easily treated.

Common sense and alertness can help avoid long-term trouble.