Suburban residents with Lyme disease warn of the dangers of ticks
Chad Dawes and his wife had just finished visiting the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve in Naperville this week when they noticed a tick in their son's hair.
They quickly removed it and checked the rest of his body for others before heading home. It's a precaution the 39-year-old Montgomery resident takes seriously, having suffered from Lyme disease for nearly the past decade. He's had all the classic symptoms - extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, trouble concentrating and restless nights.
"The fatigue on some days, if it's really affecting me that day, it's so debilitating that I can't move," said Dawes, who says the disease cost him a job. "On those days, nothing is going to get done."
Ticks are out in force in the Chicago area, with May through July considered the most active season for the disease-transmitting insect. Nationally, tickborne diseases are on the rise. Between 2004 and 2016, disease cases from ticks doubled, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In response, the CDC has ramped up its awareness campaign to warn the public. The federal health agency tweeted a picture last week of a poppy seed muffin crawling with five tiny ticks, warning the public of how small the harmful insect can be.
It's difficult to find the ticks among the poppy seeds. That's concerning, considering that in addition to Lyme disease, ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia and more to pets and people.
Aurora resident Kristen Gasser knows this all too well. Ticks have infected her with Lyme disease twice - once during college on a rock climbing trip to Wisconsin and most recently in 2011 while in her backyard.
"It's so common and people don't realize that," Gasser said.
For years, Gasser and her husband have researched treatments to lessen the side effects, including fatigue, joint pain and memory loss. But living with the disease also has become a reality for her, something she's learned to accept.
"You have to acknowledge that this is something that may not ever go away, but you can do things that can improve your symptoms and the way you feel," Gasser said.
Gasser and Dawes agree that prevention and protection from tickborne diseases is the most important step. Here are a few ways to protect yourself, your family and your pets, according to the Lake County Health Department:
• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• But if you're the type of person who loves the outdoors, wear light-colored protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, closed-toe boots or shoes, and a head covering or hat. Tuck long pants into your socks and tuck in your shirt. (People affected by Lyme disease will tell you it's worth it.)
• Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or IR3535. Use products that contain permethrin on clothing.
• Check yourself, your children and pets, and outdoor gear often for ticks. Some diseases are not transmitted right away, so it's important to find and remove ticks quickly.
• To remove ticks, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick near the skin and pull upward with slow, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk. Folk remedies such as burning the tick with a hot match or applying oils or petroleum jelly might make the tick burrow deeper in your skin or, at least, delay removal.
• Once the tick is removed, disinfect the bite area and wash hands with soap and water.