Author; John Zakatansky
When 9-year-old Hunter Sauers of Mifflinburg complained of joint pain in the early summer six years ago, his family assumed it was from the normal wear-and-tear of a growing young boy at the tail end of a busy baseball season.
When the headaches began, his mother, Nina, attributed it to him being due for new glasses.
“It was the summertime, and he was a growing boy playing baseball and being active,” she said. “But then he developed a ring-like rash. Then it turned into several rings and it was treated like ringworm, but the antifungal cream didn’t work. Soon the rash was running from head to toe.”
Meanwhile, Hunter’s other symptoms intensified.
“My stomach wasn’t feeling well. My knees hurt and I had a lot of headaches. I was really tired all of the time,” he said. “When I started getting sick to my stomach and the rash got worse, we figured it was more than a cold or the flu.”
Under the care of Dr. Elam Stoltzfus and his colleagues, of Lewisburg Pediatrics, Hunter received the diagnosis of Lyme Disease.
“We never saw a tick, but we were told that sometimes you don’t — that tiny nymph-stage ticks can be as small as a piece of pepper,” Nina said. “It is amazing that something so tiny can have that big of an effect.”
After a regimen of antibiotics, Hunter, now 15, has been symptom-free for several years.
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| Species of Ticks |
Agency’s awareness
Mike Parker, communications director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said his agency takes a variety of steps to prevent similar issues for their agents who spend so much time outdoors.
“Our staff, volunteers and waterways conservation officers are out and about, and we can wind up in some pretty remote places, especially as trout stocking season kicks into full gear,” he said. “We give employees tools such as repellent with DEET to use in the field, and some of the clothing we issue has been pre-treated to help repel ticks.”
The agency also promotes awareness while on outdoor assignments.
“We’re out walking through the woods and high grassy fields — you’d be surprised what terrain we cover just to stock trout in the spring,” Parker said. “We encourage all of our workers — and really everyone who goes outdoors — to check each other before climbing into the car for any ticks.”
The mild winter is increasing concern that tick numbers will be on the rise in 2020.
“We have seen that phenomenon in the past — milder winters is thought to contribute to the spread of ticks beyond the normal areas seen historically,” said Dr. Stanley Martin, of Geisinger Medical Center. “The number of cases of Lyme disease overall have grown quite a bit over the past 20 years, although it seemed pretty stable overall last year.”
According to Parker, the increase in tick sightings may not be strictly due to the milder winters in past years.
“We are definitely more aware of ticks and Lyme disease. We are paying much closer attention and mindfully watching for ticks,” he said, adding that even when we hit cold snaps and snowy weather, the ticks still seem to persevere.
“I take my children out for mentor youth day. We have been out there in days where there is still snow and the last thing you are thinking about are ticks,” he said. “But just because you are out there and it is snowy, that doesn’t mean the ticks aren’t out there — you still need to be aware.”
A big part of prevention is dressing appropriately for outdoor activities.
“The main recommendation is to wear long pants and long socks,” Parker said. “When possible, tuck those pants into a sock or boot to give ticks less place to crawl into clothing. This time of year, people are still going to dress warmer with layers, which helps, but it is also a good idea to use repellent and to check yourself thoroughly when done outdoors.”
Addressing the disease
According to Martin, Lyme disease is easily treatable with a regimen of antibiotics.
“For patients who clearly meet the definition of Lyme, we typically use Doxycycline, and it can be treated in 10 to 14 days,” he said. “For those in the later stages with migratory arthritis, we may treat it longer than a month. Those who take numerous months and still are struggling typically are dealing with other problems beyond Lyme disease.”
Classic symptoms, similar to those experienced by Hunter, include a bull’s-eye rash around the initial tick bite — but that isn’t always noticed or pronounced, according to Martin. Other symptoms associated with the condition include joint pain, headaches and in some cases, Bell’s palsy.
“Overall, we preach an ounce of prevention versus a pound of cure. Take steps to avoid potential tick bites,” Martin said. “If you do wind up with a tick on you, don’t panic. There is no need to rush to the doctor. Remove it and only come in if you start to feel unwell or notice a rash.”
In terms of the greater medical community’s divide over the longstanding impact of Lyme disease, Martin urged caution.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about Lyme disease on the internet. People always seem to know someone who suffers greatly because of Lyme, but many times it is from other diseases or issues that contribute to the problem,” he said. “In my opinion, Lyme is not a chronic infection — and you don’t need extended treatments of antibiotics.”
Editor’s note: A variety of private practice doctors who feel Lyme disease is much more involved were contacted for this story, including ones recommended by readers during previous stories on the condition, but every one of them refused to go on the record for this story.
https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pa-ticks-0301-20200301-jenjvqdnbfczjjvbymbzeory2a-story.html?fbclid=IwAR0OE5jfJ1GqRhP_E9_FP7eUM4gD4MvmEAdfCT7FsYk_BCQqSFdXFeuTdh4
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