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Original poster

Ticks - Lyme disease

89 replies

jimmychooing · 03/07/2019 11:49

I've booked a holiday in summer to a campsite near the New Forest, and ever since I keep seeing loads of scary info about Ticks and the dangers of Lyme Disease! This isn't something I had ever really considered before and it's freaking me out!

Does anyone have any experience of this, or would this put you off visiting the New Forest? I realise there are other 'hotspots' in the UK and Europe, but the New Forest seems to be mentioned quite a bit and it's where I'm going...

OP posts:
Sofasurfingsally · 05/07/2019 09:57

I always wear long trousers when walking near long grass or other greenery. My neighbour has tick gaiters, which cover the hem and sock area (or tuck socks into trousers). Wear light but long sleeves.

theorchidwhisperer · 05/07/2019 10:10

Always wear long leggings or trousers. I wear leggings under my dress when I'm in tick rich areas.

They dislike and are repelled by eucalyptus, peppermint and citrus. If you get essential oils and add them to body lotion to put on ankles, arms especially under arms this can help.

The tick removers only work on the medium to large size ticks. You get tiny black ticks too the size of a sesame seed. These I get out with a loop of cotton thread tightened around the body. You need to check they come out wriggling as it means they are alive and you removed the head.

Sounds grim and to be honest it's not pleasant. We live in a high tick area as we are in partial woodland and the local deer come into our gardens to eat.

The best way is prevention. Cover you legs as they really like the fleshy bit at the top of the inner thigh. And use repellent.
Check after being outside and remove quickly. You can feel them as a lump more than you can see the tiny ones.

ErrolTheDragon · 05/07/2019 10:40

The tick removers only work on the medium to large size ticks. You get tiny black ticks too the size of a sesame seed

DH used our tick card sucesfully on the two sesame size ones he had earlier this year. It has a small and a larger slot on it.

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General health
JamaicaGinger · 05/07/2019 10:52

Sorry but the tick on my child is making life quite difficult and we haven't been walking in any long grass. It's probably a very unusual case so we are just unlucky but it slightly rankles when people say 'just avoid long grass' or 'cover up'.

You are unlikely to be as unlucky as us!

anothernotherone · 05/07/2019 10:57

JamaicaGinger is there still a tick on your child now?

Where I live if you cannot remove it yourself a practice nurse at the GP or walk in will do it. Are you leaving the tick on your child?

They're usually only tiny when they haven't fed, as soon as it starts blood sucking it will balloon, but then be more tightly attached. When they're seed size they usually haven't attached and should come off easily with a tick card without leaving the head in.

SpooSpoon · 05/07/2019 11:00

My sons on antibiotics now for a potential tick bite with Lymes and we haven't been anywhere remotely rural :(

crustycrab · 05/07/2019 11:15

@JamaicaGinger you need to get the tick out ASAP. Go to a walk in clinic or doctors

Wenttoseainasieve · 05/07/2019 14:33

Check yourself and your children thoroughly after each trip into the forest and you'll be fine. My in laws live in a part of Europe where ticks with Lyme disease are very prevalent, most people there have had a tick bite or two, but don't know of anyone who has had Lyme disease. Me and DC have never been bitten, but DH has from going into long grass. I know of one man (a lumberjack so in the forest a lot) who has had tick borne encephalitis, but fortunately ticks in the UK do not carry encephalitis.

drsausage · 05/07/2019 14:40

So, is it the case that we would need to check for ticks after every trip or just when we've been in the forest/long grass/country parks etc? I'm thinking about trips to other places - beach, local town, theme park etc - do you need to check after those too?

A friend got Lyme from a tick bite on Hampstead Heath.

Original poster
jimmychooing · 05/07/2019 14:45

Yes, Hampstead Heath doesn't surprise me at all - but I'd definitely check after being in grassland/heath/parks etc I meant other areas really, the campaigns talk about checking yourself after 'being outside' in high tick areas.

I'm hoping the caravan/camping area isn't full of them, that really would be a pain!

OP posts:
drsausage · 05/07/2019 15:37

We've just checked ourselves every evening for so long it's second nature. I can't think of a day when we don't brush past a bush or walk through some grass at some point.

In 12 years we've had about 1 or 2 ticks per person in total but it's still important to check every day just in case.

Original poster
jimmychooing · 05/07/2019 18:40

I guess there's nothing for it but be aware and check and remove. And then worry for weeks about any symptoms Grin

Really was hoping I'd get lots of 'don't worry' Wink

OP posts:
drsausage · 05/07/2019 18:48

I'd definitely say 'Don't worry too much.' We've lived in a very Lyme prone area for 12 years and none of us has caught it.

Original poster
jimmychooing · 05/07/2019 19:28

Thanks drsausage, that's good to hear Smile

OP posts:
LaDilettante · 05/07/2019 19:35

As people have advised, get a tick remover. If you or your family get bitten by a tick, go to your GP and ask for antibiotics and mention you’ve been holidaying in th New Forest. Better to get treated as a precaution than wait for symptoms to appear.

I got Lyme disease seven years ago and got more and more I’ll as I had never heard of Lyme disease and my doctor didn’t seem to know about it either. I did have the bullseye rash and ended up in hospital a year later with seizures and symptoms similar to meningitis.

I’m not saying this to scare you by the way, just to say that it’s worth kicking up a fuss if you get bitten and your GP dismisses your concerns.

Original poster
jimmychooing · 05/07/2019 19:57

Sorry you've been unwell ladilletante Thanks

Absolutely no chance of getting antibiotics without symptoms here, I'd just need to keep an eye out for any if I notice a tick bite on any of us unfortunately

OP posts:
Helix1244 · 05/07/2019 21:09

I think only around 2/3 get the rash....

Original poster
jimmychooing · 05/07/2019 21:34

That's part of the worry isn't it Helix? Get a bite, remove the tick, keep and eye out for symptoms but some of them are vague. Even worse if you don't realise you've been bitten, easy to miss symptoms etc

OP posts:
Boomboomboomboom · 05/07/2019 22:42

Woollymollymonkey - your cardiac symptoms are almost identical to how my DD described it.
Funnily enough my whole family have all had numerous ticks but only she's had lyme disease.
OP Its definitely a case of don't worry but be vigilant. If any if mine got bitten again I'd be tempted to demand an antibiotic course from the GP. They do have guidelines!

Whyismycatanasshat · 05/07/2019 23:43

I lived and worked in a tick area for 25 years and was unaffected. Removed lots of ticks
Over the years. Then one stealthy one got me. I didn’t get the rash or spot the tick on that occasion. I took poorly in oVer in the US and received excellent hospital treatment in Maine where the doctors knew exactly what the craic was.

@LaDilettante my GP didn’t have a clue either. I now have ME like symptoms and issues with my immune system. 10 years on and my consultant only just acknowledges that it’s lymes related! This is despite my records coming over from the US and my doctor over there highlighting that it was most likely linked.

I’m on a lymes forum and it seems drs in the north and Scotland are much more clued up about it than in the south.

Scary

SpaceCadet4000 · 06/07/2019 02:54

Useful advice for women- shaving your legs prevents ticks as it leaves nothing for them to cling onto.

DH and I live in a very tick-ridden area. We noticed that he has to brush at least 1 tick, usually more, off his leg every time we walk. We thought shaving must contribute then googled it and confirmed it's a thing!

Nerno · 06/07/2019 03:10

I work outside in a tick area in long grass and amongst sheep but I actually haven't had that many apart from when shearing.
I tuck my shirt into my pants and my pants into my (anti tick socks by Danish endurance) socks. I shower when I come in and put my clothes in a bag in the garage or straight into the wash so I don't bring them in and I put a ring of vaseline by my shirt cuff, don't put vaseline on a tick though use a tick removal to remove them.
I rarely shave my legs, but going to do that now!

Original poster
jimmychooing · 06/07/2019 08:31

Thanks for all the input, sorry I've not been able to reply to everyone individually but I'm very grateful.

Really interesting reading the replies on this - some very different views!

I'll definitely be vigilant, but I will also probably also stick more to the beach than the forest!

OP posts:
LaDilettante · 06/07/2019 08:33

@Whyismycatanasshat
I got Lyme disease in London and apparently it doesn't exist in London or in England. Fortunately GPS have caught up a bit and trying to send you to see a shrink is no longer their first port of call!

I too, have a lot of problems with my immune system. I get random allergies that come and go, sometimes quite severe. I get infections at the drop of a hat. At the moment it's coughing. I've been coughing for the past three months, have inflammation on my lungs and still can't get rid of it after two courses of antibiotics.

@jimmychooing The rash takes a few weeks to appear but for some people it never does. Other symptoms that appear quite quickly are flu like symptoms, aches, fever for 24 hours.

PinkOboe · 06/07/2019 08:39

Only a tiny % of ticks are infected with Lyme disease. We live rurally. We’ve (DC included) had many ticks over the years.

If you do get one, remove carefully and keep an eye out of course but Lyme disease is really very rare

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