Hoersten
LIMA — A Mercy Health physician is urging residents to take precautions for tick bites, as Lyme disease becomes more prevalent in Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Health confirmed 80 Lyme disease cases as of May 9 this year, with most of those cases concentrated in eastern Ohio counties.
The bacterial infection is transmitted through tick bites, causing a bulls-eye-shaped rash, headaches, fever, chills, fatigue and pain in the muscles and joints.
“Understanding the importance of early detection of Lyme disease is crucial,” Dr. Tricia Hoersten, a family medicine physician with Mercy Health-Lima, said in a news release Tuesday. “Untreated cases can lead to severe neurological, cardiac and arthritic complications.”
Deer ticks are most active in wooded areas during the summer.
Hoersten recommends precautions like insect repellent, protective clothing and checking for ticks after outdoor activities. Removing ticks within 36 hours of a bite “significantly” reduces the risk of contracting Lyme disease.
Anyone who develops symptoms consistent with the disease should “think back to activities over the past several weeks, as it can identify a potential exposure to a tick bite, which patients may not even know occurred,” Hoersten said in the release.
“As always, the sooner individuals seek medical attention, the more effectively we are able to provide treatment,” she said.
