May Is The Month You Need to Worry About Lyme Disease

I've known a couple of people that have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and it is brutal.

I was bitten by a 'dog tick' when I was 8 years old, and didn't notice it until I woke up and saw the blood engorged lump on my stomach. My mom removed the tick, head and all, and I was none the worse for wear, but have been freaked out by ticks ever since.

I was luckier than my cousin who was diagnosed with Lyme disease a few years ago. She wasn't properly diagnosed until a few months after she started feeling run-down, and all the other symptoms that come with that disease.

It took quite a while for her to make a recovery. As anyone who has suffered from Lyme disease, it is a terrible thing to go through, and sometimes as in my cousins case, proper detection and a diagnosis can take a while.

The highest risk of bites from blacklegged ticks begins around mid May in the southern part of the Granite State. This high-risk season runs through June, and could stretch in July.

If you spend any amount of time outdoors, daily tick checks shoud become part of your daily routine.