Staff Reports
This year’s tick season is shaping up to be a real nuisance — and more than a nuisance if you value your health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports emergency room visits for tick bites are unusually high, with 71 out of every 100,000 ER visits tied to ticks — a jump of about 25% from last year. That number doesn’t even count urgent care or doctor’s office visits. If you spend time outside, pay attention: ticks and Lyme disease are not waiting for anyone to get serious about prevention.
Why this tick season is worse
Public health officials and scientists point to a mix of factors that likely pushed tick numbers up. Milder winters, changing weather patterns, and booming populations of deer and small mammals give ticks more places and more hosts to feed and multiply. Add more people living and playing near wooded areas, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for higher Lyme disease risk. The CDC’s emergency-department tracker only tells part of the story — it undercounts the full scope because many people go to urgent care or their family doctor instead of the ER — so the real number of tick encounters is almost certainly larger.
What you need to do to protect yourself
Simple, practical steps work
Don’t wait for more headlines. Use proven prevention: wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to see, tuck pants into socks, and use EPA-approved repellents containing DEET or picaridin. Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or buy pre-treated garments. After being outdoors, shower and check your body and your pets closely. If you find a tick, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers — grab it close to the skin and pull straight out. Watch for symptoms like fever, fatigue, joint pain, or a red “bull’s-eye” rash and see a doctor if any of those show up. Simple precautions cut the risk dramatically.
A word about responsibility and common sense
Here’s the honest truth: government warnings are useful, but they aren’t a substitute for personal responsibility. Local leaders should support vector control and public education, and federal agencies should keep funding research into prevention and treatments. But families and outdoor workers can’t wait for bureaucracy to catch up. Teach kids how to check for ticks, keep yards tidy to reduce tick habitat, and make tick prevention a habit. If you want fewer ER visits and less Lyme disease, it starts at home.
Tick season doesn’t have to ruin your summer, but it does demand attention. Take commonsense steps now — repellents, clothing choices, quick tick checks, and knowing when to seek care — and you’ll reduce the odds of winding up in an ER or dealing with Lyme disease later. The CDC’s numbers are a warning; treat them like one and act accordingly. If you enjoy the outdoors, don’t let a tiny parasite steal your plans.
