This New Hampshire County Has the Most Reported Cases of Lyme Disease

With the onset of the nice weather, unfortunately, that means that the ticks are coming out.  Now we have to cover ourselves from head to two, especially in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, to avoid the possibility of Lyme Disease.

Lyme Disease Cases are Especially High in Rockingham County, NH

According to the latest data from dhhs.nh.gov, Rockingham County in New Hampshire has the highest number of reported cases of Lyme disease.

There was no reason given on the report, however, it only stands to reason that it must be because of the Seacoast.  The majority of of New Hampshire's seacoast touches Rockingham County.

Ways to Prevent Lyme Disease

I feel like we have to be reminded of this every year and it's worth it.  Lyme Disease is no joke.  Here are ways to prevent getting this disease, according to dhhs.nh.gov: 

• Wear light colored clothes that cover your arms and legs.
• Tuck your pants into your socks before going into the woods
• Remember the Deet!  Apply insect repellent, (20-30%) to all exposed skin
• Stay on the path.  Veering off to pee into the brush (no judgement here) can mean more exposure to ticks.
• After you come inside, make sure you didn't pick up a tick behind your knees, ears, private parts area, belly button and the back of your neck.
• Shower as soon as you get inside to wash off any ticks you may have missed with your initial check
• Put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes or an hour if they are wet to kill off any ticks.
• Check your pets for ticks.

NH Mom Freaks Out at Sight of an Embedded Tick

I remember one Mother's Day, (of all days) when I had shorts on and my husband said to me, "What's on the back of your leg?"

When I looked at what it was, on the back of my left knee, it was a fully engorged TICK.  That sucker, literally, had been there for a while.  It was probably the size of a large raisin, but still was buried inside of me.

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I screamed, then immediately got a match to try and burn the thing off.  By that time, however, the tick wasn't moving.  I had to do the next best thing and pull it off.

I'll spare you the rest of the details, but I will say that I immediately went to Convenient MD, they gave me a dose of Doxycycline and off I went to get pancakes.

Thank GOD I didn't get Lyme Disease.  I have heard before if you see a Bullseye around the bite mark, then that is a sign that you may have Lyme Disease.

Good luck and happy hiking.