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First and foremost, it is crucial to do all you can to avoid tick bites as this is the best defense against tick-borne diseases.

To begin with, it is important to know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, bushy, or wooded areas, and they can even live on animals. Because of this, spending time outside 鈥� especially in thick grassy and/or bushy areas 鈥� means a high risk of ticks. Many people even get ticks in their own yard.

One preventative measure you can take against ticks is to treat your clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used on boots, clothing and camping gear, and it can remain effective even through several washes. You can also buy pre-treated permethrin clothing and gear.

According to the , you can also use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellants containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone. The EPA has a convenient that can help you find the product that best suits you and your needs. It is crucial to always follow product instructions. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years of age. When used as directed, these EPA-registered repellants are proven effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women, according to the CDC.

Another simple and straightforward preventative measure is to avoid wooded and bushy areas containing tall grass altogether. If there are trails, stay on them. While this isn鈥檛 the most fun advice, it is a sure way to prevent ticks. If you must explore in heavily wooded and bushed areas, be sure to use permethrin or an insect repellant, and thoroughly check yourself for ticks afterward.

Carefully inspecting yourself for ticks is extremely important. First, check your clothing. Pick off any ticks you may find. You can also tumble dry your clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing. However, if your clothes are damp, extra drying time may be necessary. If your clothes require washing first, use high heat to kill any ticks you may have missed.

It is also important to check gear, shoes and pets. Anything you brought outside with you can have ticks. Be sure to closely check your pet(s) to ensure they are tick-free. They can get tick-borne diseases just like humans can.

You should shower soon after being outside during tick season. Showering within two hours of being outdoors has been proven to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may also be effective in preventing other tick-borne illnesses. Showering allows you to do a thorough tick check and then you can wash off any ticks you may find.

Conducting a meticulous tick-check is extremely important. The provides a checklist of some of the most important areas of your body to check for ticks, as they tend to hide in these spots. If children were also outside, you should check children in these areas as well.

• Under the arms
• In and around the ears
• Inside the bellybutton
• Back of the knees
• In and around the hair
• Between the legs
• Around the waist

To prevent ticks around your home, you can apply pesticides. You can either contact an exterminator, or do it yourself. However, if you choose to do it yourself, you should check with local health or agricultural officials about the best time to do it, the best pesticide to use and the rules and regulations surrounding applying pesticides on residential properties.

Ticks are dangerous, because they can transmit diseases. The disease most commonly associated with ticks is Lyme disease, which is a bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of infected backlegged ticks (also known as deer ticks). If left untreated, Lyme disease can be serious.

Recently discovered in the United States, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) is among the latest emerging tick-borne diseases. says, 鈥淭his disease has a bull鈥檚-eye rash similar to that found in Lyme disease 鈥� Although researchers know that the lone star tick transmits the infectious agent that causes STARI, they do not yet know what microbe (germ) causes it.鈥�

Ticks can also transmit ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, which are both bacterial diseases. Babesiosis is caused by parasites carried by deer ticks. These diseases are found in several states.

A less common tick-borne bacterial disease called tularemia can be transmitted by ticks as well as other carriers such as the deer-fly. While uncommon, a serious complication from tick bites is tick paralysis. Tick paralysis is caused by a toxin, released from certain types of ticks during a bite, that leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. The paralysis typically starts in the legs and move upwards. It can even affect breathing if it reaches the chest muscles.

Some symptoms of a tick-borne disease include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, rash and swelling of lymph nodes. Some diseases have more specific symptoms. For example, a symptom of Lyme disease is joint pain, and symptoms of tick paralysis are difficulty swallowing, talking, and facial palsy.

Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise, and taking the proper precautions to prevent tick bites is crucial in avoiding complications. Know the dangers and also know what you can do to be safe.