Lyme Disease – Take Care of Yourself
At a recent Sheffield Moors Partnership meeting, local land managers stressed that Lyme Disease season is just around the corner and asked Ride Sheffield to get the word out. Lyme Disease is a serious condition that can have life-changing consequences. It is transmitted to humans by ticks that reside in the very undergrowth that we ride through. However, take some precautions and you can reduce the risk dramatically
During spring and summer, particularly when bracken is at its height, ticks can attach themselves to a passing mountain biker. Obviously, we tend to be bare legged during the heat of summer, but wearing something on your legs can help prevent the ticks latching on.
These are the ways you can protect yourselves:
- Use a tick repellant on your legs.
- When you’re riding singletrack where the undergrowth is encroaching, stop regularly and check for ticks.
- Carry a tick removal tool. This ensures that nothing is left in the skin which could spread the infection.
- Check yourself all over for ticks and wash clothes which will kill them. If you spot the ‘bullseye’ pattern or suffer flu-like symptoms, see your GP.
The picture shows the classic bullseye pattern that can result from a lyme carrying tick having attached itself to you.
For more information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease/