If you are heading out into the countryside, watch out for ticks. These tiny creatures are at their peak from June to October, and their bite can lead to a nasty condition called Lyme disease. Symptoms include a circular red rash, headaches, a stiff nack, tiredness, muscle and joint pain, and problems with sight, hearing, the digestive system and sleep. Untreated, it can affect joints, heart and the nervous system.
Ticks are carried by deer, foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs and birds. They hook their legs onto humans, inject an anaesthetic, then bite. Lyme Disease Action advises long sleeves and trousers and brushing clothing before returning home. An inset repellant containing DEET should help but if you see a tick, remove it at once. Don't pull it with fingers or cover it with cream; instead use a thread of cotton wound round the tick close to the skin and pull upwards, or cut a slit in a plastic card and slide that under the tick's body.
Good Housekeeping magazine, June 2013
