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Summer offers the perfect opportunity for families to embrace the warm weather and enjoy outdoor activities like camping and hiking. But amidst the fun, it’ s important to stay safe and healthy. One key thing to be aware of is the risk of tick-borne illnesses. Tick-borne illnesses are diseases that come from ticks infected with bacteria, viruses or parasites. In Northwest Arkansas, there are about 800 cases of tick-borne illness annually.

“ The most common tick-borne illnesses we see in our region are Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis. Luckily for Northwest Arkansas, the prevalence of Lyme disease is pretty low,” says Jason Froeschle, APRN at Washington Regional Eureka Springs Family Clinic. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a bacterial disease which can rapidly progress to a serious and lifethreatening illness if left untreated. Ehrlichiosis describes a group of diseases caused by bacteria that can be spread through the bite of the lone star tick and blacklegged tick. Both illnesses can be treated with antibiotics if they are detected early.

Staying informed and taking proactive steps to prevent tick bites can help ensure that your summer adventures remain safe and enjoyable.

PREVENTING TICK BITES

“ The best way to prevent a tick-borne illness is to avoid getting bitten by a tick in the first place,” Froeschle says. If you know that you’ re going to be in an area that’ s highly populated with ticks, such as brushy areas or woods, it’ s crucial to take preventive measures. Start by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, preferably in light colors, which make it easier to spot ticks. Additionally, you can use insect repellents that are specifically formulated to repel ticks. Applying these repellents to both your skin and clothing can provide an extra layer of protection. Remember to reapply the repellent as directed, especially if you’ re sweating or spending several hours outdoors.

Make sure to check yourself and your children for ticks after you’ ve been outdoors, especially in heavily tick-infested areas. Conduct a thorough full-body check, paying special attention to hidden areas where ticks like to hide, such as under your arms, in and around your ears, behind your knees, around your waist, and in or near your hair. Use a mirror to inspect hardto-see areas or ask someone to help you.

Showering within two hours of coming indoors can help wash off unattached ticks and reduce the risk of developing a tick-borne illness. Ticks may also be found on clothing. If this happens, tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks.

REMOVING TICKS“ If you do find a tick on yourself or your child, the best way to remove those ticks safely is to take sharp tweezers right to the skin where the tick is attached, and firmly pull straight upwards to remove the tick,” Froeschle says.“ Don’ t squeeze it and don’ t twist it. Pull the tick straight out. If the tick’ s mouth is left in the body, leave it alone. Your body does a pretty good job of taking care of that on its own.” After removing a tick, rinse the area with alcohol or wash with soap and water to keep it clean.

After removing a tick, try not to scratch the area, as this could spread germs from your fingernails, leading to a secondary skin infection.“ What you want to watch out for is excessive redness. A little bit of redness and swelling is normal, but when you start seeing redness really streak outside of the area where you got bit or any kind of pus or yellow drainage, that’ s what we get concerned about with a secondary skin infection,” Froeschle says. If you do notice signs of infection, contact your health care provider.

SYMPTOMS OF TICK-BORNE ILLNESSES While most tick bites will not make you sick, common symptoms you might experience with a tickborne illness are very similar to flu, Froeschle says. Symptoms may include:

• Fever

• Body aches

• Rash, particularly a rash that looks like a bullseye Early detection and treatment are crucial, as untreated tick-borne illnesses can lead to complications.“ If you develop any of those symptoms within a few days or even a week or two after being bitten by a tick, that’ s when you want to call your health care provider and let them know your symptoms and get checked out,” Froeschle says. By staying informed about the risks and symptoms of tick-borne illnesses, you can protect yourself and your loved ones during your summer adventures.

To learn more about Washington Regional’ s primary care clinics and find a location near you, visit wregional. com / clinics.

� Jason Froeschle, APRN at Washington Regional

Eureka Springs Family Clinic.

OURHEALTHNWA. COM 14 JULY 2025 | SUMMER SAFETY & SKIN CARE ISSUE