How to Treat and Avoid Lyme Disease Naturally
With spring and summer on the horizon, it is time to think about the pests that will emerge from the cold, like mosquitoes, flies, and the dreaded ticks. They are an irritant, but they can also carry infectious diseases, such a Lyme disease. Blacklegged ticks, more commonly known as deer ticks, bite into human flesh and infect their bloodstream. Eventually that bite will start to look like a bullseye, and leave the victim feeling overly fatigued, and with pain in their jaw, neck, back, or joints. Lyme disease attacks many different systems in the human body, and can become chronic if not treated properly in the first place.
How to Avoid Tick Bites
Since it is ticks that carry the disease, the best way to prevent it is not get bitten at all. It can be tough to stay away from them in the summer when you want to spend time outside,but there are still things you can do to prevent coming into contact. For instance, try to cover up as much as you can. That means wearing long sleeves, especially if you are going into a wooded area, as well as closed toed shoes. Ticks like to hide in long grass, but they cannot penetrate your shoes.
When you get back to your home base after a hike, make sure to check your equipment for any sign of an infestation or a single tick. You should also immediately take a shower and wash away any ticks that might still be hanging on, and to make your skin as inhospitable to other ticks as possible. When washing the clothes that you were wearing, use hot water to sanitize, if possible, and dry them on high heat for about an hour.
You can also use products to keep ticks at bay. There are chemical-filled sprays and ointments that work, but luckily there are some natural solutions as well. Essential oils, such as lavender, juniper leaf, and geranium, can work just as well as a chemical like DEET. To work best, it is important to apply the oils liberally, as the more you use the more effective it will be. Just be careful you are not damaging your skin or the skin of your child. There are vinegar sprays that are effective at repelling bugs, including ticks, which can do the trick as well.
Treating a Tick Bite
If you are bitten by a tick, the first thing you need to do is remove it, since they like to burrow into the flesh and stay there to feed. There are recommended techniques offered by several health agencies that you can use to do this effectively. Once the tick is gone, then make sure to clean the wound thoroughly. You should also place the tick in a plastic bag and send it away for testing.
Lyme disease should be officially diagnosed by a medical professional, but there is no reason you cannot use some natural remedies with antibiotic and antibacterial properties while awaiting your test results. These include oregano, echinacea, juniper berries, thyme, and garlic essential oils.
Natural Body Cleanse
You can also get your body in the right shape to battle the disease by cleansing your blood and liver. Dandelion root, hawthorn, red clover, and marshmallow are work to repair your organs, including the liver, and clean the blood of toxins. Another thing you must do is practise proper nutrition. Remove processed foods from your diet, and cut back completely on sugar. Make sure to get enough rest as well, and practise good stress relieving techniques.
Prescription Medication
Lyme disease is a serious medical condition, and most doctors will advise that you take prescription antibiotics to help treat it. If caught early enough, lyme disease can be beaten back and you won’t have any lingering effects from it. While prescription antibiotics might be necessary, they can also damage your good gut bacteria at the same time. The natural methods mentioned above will help restore the damage to your gut and help prevent any problems arising from taking the antibiotics.
Tick bites and lyme disease should not be treated lightly. If you suspect you may have contracted lyme disease, see a doctor right away and follow their instructions. To help strengthen the suggested treatment and to keep your health strong while taking medications, use these natural remedies until you are fully healthy again.