Connecticut Facing Troubling Tick Season

Tick season is underway in Connecticut, and this year appears to be a particularly troubling one, as the tick population is on the rise and new species are being discovered.

Those who enjoy spending time outside need to know how to avoid ticks and how to conduct tick checks, especially if you're new to hiking or camping in the area.

Dr. Eric Walsh, Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care Medical Director, says ticks prefer to inhabit areas where there’s plentiful shrubbery, tall grass and weeds. One sign of a tick bite is a red bull’s eye circling the area of the bite.

“Though some tick bites are harmless, others can create allergic reactions or cause Lyme disease,” Dr. Walsh says. “Symptoms are not always immediate. In the days and weeks after a tick bite, a person should monitor themselves for symptoms such as muscle pain, loss of appetite and fever.”

Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care centers across the state have already seen visits for tick bites this spring. Common ticks found in Connecticut include the American dog tick, the deer tick and the lone star tick. Newer arrivals to the state include the Asian longhorned tick and the Gulf Coast tick. Compared to last year, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station counted more than double the number of ticks through April 30.

To protect yourself from ticks, wear long-sleeved breathable clothing (also good for managing sun exposure) and apply insect repellent containing DEET to your clothing before going outdoors. It’s important to conduct a tick check after you've been outside in wooded areas, the garden or similar locations.

“Ticks prefer warm areas of the body,” Dr. Walsh said. “It’s important to check for ticks in the hair, armpit, legs and neck. A magnifying glass can help spot the smallest of ticks.”

If a tick is found on the body, Dr. Walsh advises removing it immediately to lessen the chances of disease. For example, the chance of contracting Lyme disease is only 1.4 percent if a tick is removed within 36 hours.

The first step in removing a tick is to put on gloves, as this prevents the spread of bacteria. Next, using tweezers or a specific tick-removing tool, grab the tick as closely to the skin as possible without crushing it. Being gentle, use an upward motion without twisting or turning to detach the tick from the skin. Then, so a healthcare provider may identify it later, the tick should be placed in a sealed bag or jar. Finally, clean the impacted area with rubbing alcohol to remove any lingering bacteria and wash your hands.

Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care centers—which are open with extended hours every day—offer a variety of services to treat tick bites, including removal and medication, if needed. To find the center closest to you, visit www.GoHealthUC.com/CT.

About GoHealth

GoHealth Urgent Care is one of the country’s fastest-growing and most technology-forward on-demand care companies. At GoHealth, we provide unparalleled experiences that are effortless, personal and connected through partnerships with market-leading health systems and our communities as a whole. GoHealth operates approximately 160 on-demand care centers in the greater New York metropolitan area, the Portland, Oregon-Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area, the San Francisco Bay Area, Hartford and South Eastern Connecticut, Winston-Salem and Charlotte, North Carolina, St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Northwest Arkansas and Delaware. GoHealth Urgent Care is a TPG Growth portfolio company, the middle market and growth equity investment platform of TPG, which has more than $103 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.gohealthuc.com.