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Health & Fitness

Tick Tock, Tick Tock...

Well, it's that time of year again here in New England...time to worry about the dreaded deer tick.

But, worrying about such things is simply a waste of energy. Instead, I choose to be proactive in protecting my daughter and our family from Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

While I have encountered and treated a large number of patients in my medical practice with Lyme disease, myself included, I can tell you that this is not a fun disease. So, how do we protect ourselves from contracting Lyme disease short of spraying ourselves with toxic tick repellents?

In my research I have found that there are several companies that will treat your lawn with "greener," more natural products to reduce the tick population. Some will use products containing cedar oil, while others use beneficial nematodes, which are organisms that essentially "crowd out" ticks in your yard. For more information on organic yard care, check out www.ctnofa.org.

There are also boxes and tubes that you can place around your property that contain an anti-tick substance that will "inoculate" white-footed mice. Mice (not deer) are the primary carriers of deer ticks that are infected with the organism that causes Lyme disease in humans and pets. Chipmunks, squirrels and birds will also bring deer ticks into your yard. The deer themselves serve as a reservoir for the ticks, but they are not primarily responsible for bringing ticks onto your lawn.  

An uber-Green way to reduce the tick population on your property is by purchasing a flock of guinea hens. Guinea hens roaming your yard will eat ticks, but I must caution you that they can be quite loud. Several years ago, our neighbors decided to go the "hen route" and believe me, no one in our area was happy. Also, there might be zoning board restrictions that would preclude the raising of Guinea hens in your town.

Another tidbit that I learned during my research is that ticks will dry out and die in full sunlight. If possible, place pools and swing sets in a sunny area on your property, at least 10-15 feet away from heavily wooded and shaded areas.

Now onto protecting your kids directly... Several natural bug sprays are available for kids. They can be found in most health food stores and online.

A great tip that I learned from a friend is to have your kids wear rain boots when playing in the yard. Ticks, especially nymphs, won't climb smooth surfaces like vinyl and rubber. To be really safe, you can spray the outer bottom half of your child's rain boots with a natural bug spray, or for added protection, use a product containing picaridin. Picaridin is a bit less toxic than DEET. Personally, I will not use DEET even though it has the best research in protecting against tick bites. It is simply too toxic for me. However, I am considering using a picaridin spray on my daughters rain boots, but not directly on my child or on me.

Other ways to protect yourselves is to remove all woodpiles from around your house, and beware of stone walls as ticks will be found in these places too. Even the trees are not safe. Birds and squirrels carry ticks to the trees where the ticks can drop off onto the leaves. In heavily infested areas, a strong wind can blow ticks through the air and onto your lawn, or your body.

Of course, wearing hats, keeping long pants tucked into your socks, and checking everyone for ticks each time you return indoors is a must.

For added protection, the doctors in our office will often suggest a homeopathic liquid that is purported to help prevent contracting Lyme disease. For those people who are already suffering with Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses, we have many natural treatment options.

As you can see, there are several steps that you can take to help you and your family avoid those dreaded ticks. So, venture outdoors and enjoy your summer!

Dr. Lesa Werner is a Naturopathic Physician at Eclectic Naturopathic Medicine in Newington, CT. www.drlesawerner.com

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