Tick season appears worse than normal; doctors advise prompt scrutiny after outdoor activities
WAYNE, Pa. - Get ready for some creepy-crawlies. Ticks are back. And, some are saying, they’re a bigger problem than ever. Doctors say it’s important to know what they look like and know how to prevent getting bit in the first place.
"I’m both super paranoid and also try not to think about it, but I do look for them, both on myself and the dogs," Newtown Square resident Paolo Costa said.
Ticks are here. Kathy Frank, of Bethlehem, took a photo of a bowl of ticks she pulled from her two dogs after she and her husband, Jud, took them for a walk, on their leashes, in a wildlife preserve in Atlantic County.
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"It was crazy. They had hundreds of ticks on them. Scary. I’ve never seen anything like it," Kathy stated.
It took her four hours to pull the ticks off. She says they had some, as well. "We even called our doctor to see what we needed to do."
Dr. Jennifer Coren, of Hatboro Pediatrics, says prevention is key, especially as the weather warms up.
"If you are going to be in an area with high grass, or going to be in an area where there’s a lot of trees, you are going to want to put bug repellent on your kids," Dr. Coren said.
She says it’s also important to check pets and kids thoroughly after being outside.
"These ticks are sneaky. They sneak in all these funny places, so you really want to look behind the ears, on the scalp, on the body and folds and creases," Dr. Coren advised.
She says to watch for a ring-like rash and flu-like symptoms. "The tick really has to be attached for 24 to 48 hours before it can transmit Lyme, so picking it up early, early detection and removal erases that concern, which is key."