Spring is here, or will feel like it more soon. As we switch out coats for shorts it is a good time to make sure you have everything you need to play or work safe outdoors.
Though we could all do with some vitamin D after such a long winter indoors, our skin will be particularly sensitive to sunburns early in the season. It is important to be mindful of UV ray exposure and wear hats, long sleeves/shorts, or use sunscreen with SPF >15 when outdoors. Skin cancer is the most preventable form of cancer, but continues to be the most common type of cancer. Right now is the ideal time to schedule a skin cancer screening, before your skin has had a chance to darken with any tans or increased freckling. When performing your own exam remember the ABCDE’s of skin cancer, A for asymmetry, B for border irregularities, C for color, D for diameter, E for evolving or changing. The Health and Wellness Center is happy to offer such screenings and welcomes anyone to schedule a visit for a mole check at your convenience.
Just as we all are excited to open up the windows and step outdoors, so too are the insects. It is not fun to think about but we should be vigilant about protecting ourselves from mosquitos and ticks in particular. Both have the potential to carry nasty diseases that could have long term health consequences. As many of you know, Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness, is quite prevalent in this neck of the woods especially in late spring and summer.
Tick bites and disease can be prevented by daily “tick checks”, paying close attention to nooks and crannies in your armpit, groin, backs of knees and belt line. Products containing permethrin, such as from the company Insect Shield, have shown good efficacy in warding off ticks. The CDC has even recommended some more natural solutions such as with garlic essential oil or a mixture of rosemary, lemongrass, cedar, peppermint, thyme, and geraniol essential oils. If you have animals that go outside it is also a good idea to have them wear a tick color, to limit the number of ticks that come back inside your home by way of their fur.
Ticks take up to 24 hours from the time of first contact with the skin before they actually start to feed on the host’s blood. The tick must remain firmly attached to the skin for 48 to 72 hours to pass the bacteria that causes Lyme disease to humans. An individual who is bitten by a tick has a very low risk (about 1 in 100 chance) of acquiring Lyme disease if the tick is removed before it is engorged (filled with blood) (UpToDate.com). Thus, a careful search for ticks after spending time outdoors is useful in avoiding a tick bite; a tick that has not bitten cannot cause Lyme disease. Make a tick check part of a daily physical exam.
Symptoms of Lyme disease can present within days to several weeks after a tick bite. Occasionally a person does not recall the early illness and may be diagnosed after developing later features of infection. Erythema migrans (EM) is a distinctive skin rash that occurs at the site of the tick bite.. Early Lyme disease can cause nonspecific, virus-like signs and symptoms, including fatigue, a feeling of being unwell, fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. (UptoDate.com)
If you have any questions about measures to play safe while outdoors, and of course any relevant medical concerns, please call or bring them by your National Life Health and Wellness Center.
Telephone: (802) 229-7151
Schedule an appointment online: NationalLifeGroup.MyCenterVisit.com
Hours of operation:
M/W 7:30-4:00
T/Th 8:30-4:00
F 8:00-11:00