<p>Haven’t seen this one discussed here. Son spent the night in the ER with breathing problems. An anti-inflamatory drug seems to be helping. He casually mentioned that he and his ROTC group had spent the last 2 days in the woods and had found several wood ticks on themselves. He also has a rash, but believes it is poison ivy. The rash doesn’t look like a bull’s eye, so I’m hoping it may just be poison ivy and maybe the breathing problems were pulled muscles or allergies. It looks like it’s too early to worry about Lyme’s disease, other than to see if he’ll agree to let H do a “body double-check”.
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>The rash is not there in some relatively large percentage of cases. But as long as you suspect Lyme Disease, they will test for it at the appropriate time, and antibiotics can be provided. </p>
<p>ETA, as far as I know, breathing problems are not a typical symptom of Lyme Disease. </p>
<p>A couple years ago after raking leaves in the backyard DS ended up with a couple ticks that he couldn’t get off himself.(Make sure to have him and check everywhere)… I Took him to the doctor. They gave him antibiotics just in case.</p>
<p>I would think it is an allergic reaction from something in the woods - this is the height of the seasonal allergy time. I have had poison ivy many times and the rash is unique could not be mistaken for anything else.</p>
<p>toledo: Is he in OH with you? Is Lyme disease a concern there?</p>
<p>Good question, VeryHappy. I didn’t realize that it is rare here in Ohio. Here is a map that I found:
<a href=“http://www.aldf.com/usmap.shtml”>http://www.aldf.com/usmap.shtml</a></p>
<p>I feel a lot better (and hopefully he will too, soon!).</p>
<p>It must be some type of allergy he hasn’t encountered before.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Oh good. Rest easy tonight.</p>
<p>He should be tested for Lyme in a month or so, just to be sure. </p>
<p>Toledo, I’m sorry to hear that your son is not feeling well. Please mention to the doctor to perhaps check for other tick-borne illnesses such as Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. They can occur on their own, or can sometimes be with Lyme.</p>
<p>Lyme has many symptoms, but I’m not sure breathing problems is an early symptom. However, since not every case of Lyme develops the bull’s eye rash, as VeryHappy said, it would be important to test for Lyme. It is important to get Lyme test right away, and then you can get the test again in a month. I wouldn’t wait at all.</p>
<p>Are wood ticks known as deer ticks or dog ticks? Lyme is transmitted by deer ticks. Has your son been bitten previously by ticks in other ROTC outings?</p>
<p>I hope he feels better very soon.</p>
<p>Followup comment - the Lyme test is not always super sensitive (hence not always accurate), depending on how long since infection, so I would not just get it at one time OR the other, but rather get it both times: now and in a month.</p>
<p>Note - the data on the maps is from 2004-2008. Not up to date. Tick borne illnesses have increased in the affected geographic areas. I would check it out and get the tests to be on the safe side and to rest easier.</p>
<p>What did the ER doctor diagnose the breathing problem as? Why was he given an antiinflammatory medicine? </p>
<p>Did they build a fire by any chance? Fires that include burning poison ivy can cause breathing problems—I remember an incident about 25 years ago when we lived in Massachusetts. A kid ended up in the ER because of a bonfire. If any ticks were found, try to save them between two pieces of clear tape so that the ticks can be tested. Much easier than testing the kid.</p>
<p>Lyme has been found in all stares in the US. Be sure to test now and in a month and send to a lab known to do a good analysis for varying types of lyme infections. If he may have it, prompt treatment with the right antibiotics is crucial. </p>
<p>I have been prescribed steroids (prednisone) when I have had bad poison ivy (it was on my face/eye). Don’t be surprised if that is what they give him once they confirm poison ivy and/or the anti-inflammatory does not do its job. I will confirm what was said above about having breathing problems from the smoke from burning poison ivy (happened to somebody I know). The sooner the rash breaks out - the worse the person’s sensitivity to poison ivy - mild poison ivy takes a week to show up - so this rash right after contact indicates a strong allergy.</p>
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<p>The ER doctor wasn’t sure and wanted to admit him. They suspected it could be inflamation around his heart because of an abnormal EKG. Helicopter parents to the rescue, we drove 2 1/2 hours each way to pick him up and bring him home to our cardiologist, who was able to rule out any heart problems. </p>
<p>Glad it’s not his heart. But what was the breathing difficulty from? Is he feeling well now?
As far as I know, breathing difficulties are not a lyme symptom.</p>
<p>The vector for Lyme Disease is the deer tick (the super tiny one), not the wood tick. Since he knows exactly when he was in the woods, if the bullseye rash or a deer tick wasn’t seen, it’s doubtful it’s Lyme, but testing wouldn’t be out of the question. Hope he feels better soon.</p>
<p>Deer ticks are so tiny that often people don’t see them unless they are engorged in an obvious spot on the body. The type of tick commonly seen on dogs is much bigger than a deer tick. IIRC,they have to be affixed for some length of time to pass along the virus, and “flu-like symptoms” in three weeks are the major giveaway. Lots of people don’t get the bull’s eye rash, or it is in a place where they don’t see it. In my experience, they don’t automatically give antibiotics for bites. </p>
<p>There are other tick-borne diseases, though.</p>
<p>Here’s what the little deer ticks that carry Lyme Disease look like:</p>
<p><a href=“Ticks Crawl Up! - YouTube”>Ticks Crawl Up! - YouTube;
<a href=“Permethrin Treated Clothing - YouTube”>Permethrin Treated Clothing - YouTube;
<p>As I understand it, they typically need to be attached to you for 24 to 48 hours to infect you. It’s not the immediate result of a bite.</p>
<p>You can buy Insect Shield Permethrin pre-treated clothing (Ex Officio Bugs Away, LLBEAN No Fly Zone, etc). Or, it’s pretty simple to treat your own with a spray solution. The factory treatment is claimed to last up to 70 washings. The home treatment is good for 6 washings – although, in reality, it’s probably closer to somewhere in the middle of those numbers for both. Permethrin is also the treatment for bedbugs and it repels mosquitos and flies as well.</p>
<p><a href=“Sawyer Permethrin Clothing and Gear Insect Repellent - YouTube”>Sawyer Permethrin Clothing and Gear Insect Repellent - YouTube;
<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/768970/sawyer-permethrin-pump-spray-24-oz”>http://www.rei.com/product/768970/sawyer-permethrin-pump-spray-24-oz</a></p>
<p>I used it to spray all my outdoor clothes, shoes, socks, hats, backpacks, tents, camp chairs, etc. The Sawyer spray bottles got a little expensive, so I now buy bulk bottles and mix my own. This particular one makes 20 oz of spray in my used Sawyer bottle, using one ounce of concentrate with water to make 20 ounces of spray. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Other-BC825669-Durvet-Permethrin-Pint/dp/B00ESB74J2”>http://www.amazon.com/Other-BC825669-Durvet-Permethrin-Pint/dp/B00ESB74J2</a></p>
<p>This will make the equivalent of 13 Sawyer bottles for the price of one. I recommend trying a Sawyer 20 ounce bottle. Treat a couple of outdoor outfits and, if you like it, buy the bulk. Gardening clothes are a must in deer tick country and, you have something to help cut down on mosquitoes when sitting out in the evening. For hiking, I wear treated clothing and then use DEET spray on exposed skin that is not covered by the clothing. </p>
<p>The factory treated clothing has ZERO detectable smell. You would never know it’s treated unless you saw the label (or the price tag!) I find that the home treated clothing has just a slight smell the first time you wear it. Once it’s been worn and washed one time, nothing – to the point that I mark treated clothing with a little “I” on the inside side label so I know it’s treated. The Martin’s stuff I linked from Amazon above is 99.9% odor free on some clothes I treated last weekend that have been airing on hangers. I’d never be able to tell they’ve been treated.</p>