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Reducing Your Risk

Reducing Your Risk of Lyme Disease

by Amy Scholten, MPH

To reduce the risk of Lyme disease:

  • Stay away from places where ticks are often found—such as fields with brush and/or tall grass.
  • Wear light-colored clothing. Wear long pants tucked into socks and long-sleeve shirts.
  • Apply (EPA-approved) tick repellent to clothes and exposed skin.
  • Wear permethrin-treated clothing.
  • Check for and remove ticks. Remove them properly. Use tweezers, if possible. Then clean the bite site.
  • Report any tick bite to the doctor. Some doctors give antibiotics within 72 hours of a tick bite—in a high-risk area. This can reduce the risk of Lyme disease.
  • Check for signs of Lyme disease—such as a rash or fever within 30 days of the bite. Report any signs to the doctor.
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References:

Lyme disease. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/lyme-disease. Accessed November 11, 2021.
Lyme disease. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website. Available at: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease. Accessed November 11, 2021.
Personal protection. Lyme Disease website. Available at: https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/ticks/personal-protection. Accessed November 11, 2021..
Preventing tick bites. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/index.html. Accessed November 11, 2021.
Last reviewed November 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review Board David L. Horn, MD
Last Updated: 11/11/2021