There are plenty of misconceptions about ticks these days. One of them is that ticks are only found in the woods. The truth is ticks are very common on the fields, in urban parks, dog runners, bushy areas, meadows, pastures, city parks and gardens as well. Anywhere you go to run, you can always meet with these bloodsucking parasites!
Ticks are technically small arachnids varying in size from 0.8mm to 6mm. When ready to feed, they’ll wait on long grasses for a human or animal to brush past, so that they can latch onto them, and they’ll bite into your skin and begin drawing blood, and as a result, can potentially transmit Lyme disease to you. “Lyme Disease is an infection that is carried by deer ticks and can lead to some serious symptoms like a nasty rash, joint pain and swelling, and even neurological problems if not treated properly in a timely manner.”[1]
As trail runner you need to be aware of the dangers you may face while running. Trail runners who spend their time in wooded areas have higher chance to get bitten by a tick. There is not just one runner who got Lyme disease because a tick bit him/her. Several people got this not deadly but very dangerous illness cause serious side effects for them. Untreated Lyme disease has worse symptoms than in the early stage like the multiple secondary annual rashes, transient, migratory arthritis, and effusion in one or multiple joints; migratory pain in tendons, bursae, muscle, and bones; baker’s cyst; if untreated, arthritis may recur in same or different joints. These are the rheumatologic manifestations, but the effect can be cardiac, neurologic, and additional also.
But not Lyme disease is the only one illness that ticks can cause. There are more like the Powassan and Bourbon virus, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever…
The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) reported that vector-borne diseases more than tripled in the United States from 2004 to 2016. Those illnesses are caused by blood feeding pests like ticks which can transmit pathogens from one host to another. The increase makes it equally important for runners to pay heightened attention to precautionary measures this year, because if the weather is good and the temperature is above freezing, ticks are coming for you! Because of the information mentioned above the most important thing is prevention!
What should you do to avoid tick bite?
When going outside to an area likely to have ticks: Stick to main pathways and the center of trails. Wear a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt with long pants and tuck your pants into your socks. Everybody knows that runners don’t like long sleeved clothes, but you should pay attention on protection against these annoying dangerous tiny bugs. Use bug repellents and showering as quickly as possible, and then conduct a full-body tick check using a mirror after you got home.
Your health is important to us, use Tickless to keep yourself safe!
Due to the environmental changes we want to do something to the nature, that is the reason why our company will change a bit. We are moving towards zero waste and all our product development is dedicated to creating a more sustainable environment. This Spring we will introduce two brand new products, among others, designed especially for runners and active athletes!
Be conscious, use Tickless!
[1] https://www.trailandkale.com/tips/ticks-and-trail-running/