Summer is the season of ticks - and the potential to be exposed to a tick-borne illness. One of those illnesses is ehrlichiosis, a bacterial illness that causes mild to severe flu-like symptoms. While you can be exposed to ehrlichiosis via a blood transfusion or by direct contact with an infected, slaughtered animal, most people are infected by a bite from a tick. When a tick latches on to you and feeds it can transmit Ehrlichia chaffeensis bacteria to your bloodstream. The result is a range of flu-like symptoms including:
- Muscles aches
- Joint pain
- Mild fever
- Headache
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Coughing
- Rash
Symptoms usually appear within 14 days of having been bitten by a tick. If you experience the above symptoms and have been in an area with ticks visit your physician. Be certain to tell them that you have been in a region with ticks so they know to check you for signs of a tick-borne illness. Abnormal blood tests are the best indicators of a tick-borne disease. If you are infected, your blood test may show abnormal liver function, low white blood cell count or low platelet count. If you do have ehrlichiosis your physician will mostly likely prescribe a seven- to ten-day round of antibiotics.
While ehrlichiosis is generally a mild infection, people with weakened immune symptoms may experience more serious side effects from ehrlichiosis, such as seizures, coma, respiratory, kidney or heart failure.
In most of Wisconsin, we experienced a very cloudy, rainy spring - so most of us are ill-prepared to adapt to the intense rays of the sun this June. It is always important to protect yourself from the sun in summer - sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and avoiding peak sun exposure (10 am to 2 pm) are key. But this year I’m seeing even more cases of severe sunburn and skin reactions caused by exposure to the sun.
What determines whether or not you get sunburned? Your skin type, how long you are in the sun, when you are in the sun and where you are - including your altitude. The type of sunscreen you use and medications you are taking can also determine how your skin reacts to the sun. Medications such as antibiotics, diuretics, heart drugs, birth control, antidepressants, antifungals, antibacterials and acne medications can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
Are you always the unlucky one in your family or group of friends who seems to get waylaid by a cold — again and again? Why me — you ask yourself. Well, here’s an interesting article that takes a look at the various factors that make you more vulnerable to getting a cold. It’s a combination of factors, really. Your genetics, your past exposure to various cold viruses and the luck of the draw — were you in the wrong place at the wrong time and grabbed a shopping cart just used by someone with not-so-good nasal hygiene?
You might also like to take a look at a slightly older article on the link between immunity and exercise. Researchers found that people who exercised five days a week for at least 20 minutes had 40 percent fewer days of illness compared to those who only exercised one day (or less) each week. Yes exercise just keeps racking up the benefits — but keep in mind that genetics and being next to one good sneeze can still send the sniffles your way.
Find yourself stuffed up, sneezing, with watery eyes and a runny nose? At this time of year, most people assume that these symptoms are indicative of a cold. But if you have a Christmas tree in your home, they could be signs that you suffer from pine tree allergies. If you are allergic, simply smelling the tree, touching the tree or even inhaling fragrant pine oils can make you have an allergic reaction.
The symptoms can be
- a red, itchy rash
- hives or blisters
- itchy and watery eyes
- sneezing
- itchy mouth and throat
- cough
- runny and/or stuffy nose
- asthmatic reaction
Do you have pine allergies? Your doctor can answer that question with a skin or blood test. Also, think back - do you typically have these symptoms each year when your Christmas tree is brought inside? Do you have similar symptoms during spring pollination?
If you find you are allergic to pine, your physician can suggest over-the-counter or prescription medications that help alleviate the symptoms. If you suffer from a rash, hives or blisters, calamine lotion or cortisone creams usually help.
This year, there’s been an increase in cases of persistent coughing and sinusitis. Are the two related? They can be. Coughing is a defense mechanism - it’s how your body removes irritants such as bacteria, viruses, pollutants, mucus or postnasal drip, from your lungs and upper respiratory tract.
Just what happens when you cough? A recent article in the Washington post provides a great interactive diagram of the anatomy of a cough. Basically, irritants in your throat or mucus in your lungs stimulate your nerves and send a message to your brain indicating the need to cough. Your body reacts with an intake of breath, the glottis above your voice box temporarily closes, your chest muscles contract and you forcibly cough - expelling air through the open glottis and out your mouth.
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