All posts tagged: tick

How To Remove A Tick And Symptoms To Watch For After A Bite

How To Remove A Tick And Symptoms To Watch For After A Bite

Published by Sam Flores

Nothing pains me more than having to declare “it’s tick season” – but here we are, nonetheless. Tick season usually runs from March to October, with a peak during the warmer, humid months from April to July. For those who haven’t come across the biting bugs before, they are small spider-like creatures with oval-shaped bodies. They’re roughly the size of a sesame seed and can have six or eight legs (depending on whether they’re fully grown or not). Unfortunately, ticks can spread Lyme disease, a bacterial infection which, if not caught early, can lead to serious health issues over time including joint pain, nerve damage, and memory problems. Lyme disease cases in England and Wales have risen steadily since reporting began in 1986. In 2021, there were 1,156 lab-confirmed cases reported, however the UK government estimates there are probably 1,000-2,000 additional cases each year. Where are ticks typically found? Ticks are typically found in grassy areas like gardens, parks, fields and woodland. They climb onto animals or humans as you brush past them. So, whether …

Lyme disease symptoms to watch for as ER visits over tick bites skyrocket

Lyme disease symptoms to watch for as ER visits over tick bites skyrocket

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Spring’s warmer weather lures people outdoors – and into possible contact with ticks that spread Lyme disease. Already, the 2026 tick season is booming. On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that emergency room visits due to tick bites are at their highest level since 2017. That may portend an especially severe season for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. State health departments reported more than 89,000 cases of Lyme disease in 2023, the last year for which data is available. But public health experts believe that close to 500,000 people in the U.S. get Lyme disease every year. As an infectious disease doctor with experience treating some of this infection’s long-term outcomes, I know that Lyme disease can be tricky because people often don’t notice tick bites and may overlook early symptoms of an infection. But …

Tick season seems to be off to a fast start, and some experts worry about future illnesses

Tick season seems to be off to a fast start, and some experts worry about future illnesses

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK — Tick season seems to be off to a fast start, with an unusually high number of bites already reported across the country. Some U.S. doctors are worried this could be a bad year for tick-borne diseases. “If you have a lot of exposures, there will probably be more cases of tick-related infections,” said Dr. Alina Filozov, an infectious-disease doctor at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an early advisory to the public last week to guard against ticks. Tick bites typically spike in May, but “the data are telling us now is the time to take action,” said Alison Hinckley, a CDC Lyme disease expert. “Ticks are out and people are getting bitten.” Emergency room visits for tick bites are running high Current data are very limited, but the early signs are not good. The CDC’s tracking system shows that weekly rates of emergency visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017. That’s true in all regions of the country except …

BBC told to stop ‘tick box’ diversity casting

BBC told to stop ‘tick box’ diversity casting

Published by Sam Flores

The BBC must stop “tick box” diversity casting in its dramas, a review commissioned by the corporation has warned. The broadcaster is so keen to include ethnic minorities in its programmes that representation is being “shoe-horned” into inappropriate settings such as period dramas. Murder Is Easy, BBC One’s 2023 adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel, was cited in the review as an example of diversity being “superimposed” on a story. “Audiences are particularly unforgiving of this if it challenges their expectations of what they have switched on to see. If there’s an Agatha Christie murder mystery over the Christmas period, they won’t expect to be taken into anti-colonial struggles alongside the country house murder,” the review said of the adaptation, which incorporated elements of West African Yoruba culture. “Unless it’s very skilfully done, there is a danger it will feel overly didactic and preachy, as if the viewer is being lectured or a point is being made heavy-handedly. A vital component of quality for the viewer is authenticity.” The review says the BBC received complaints …