Here are 5 tips for protecting yourself against Lyme disease during peak tick season.

• It’s tick season right now, but there are some easy ways to prevent tick-borne illnesses.

• Symptoms of Lyme disease can range from mild to devastating.

• A Lyme disease expert shares what you should do to protect yourself from ticks.

• See more stories on the Insider business page.

When Eva Sapi contracted Lyme disease she had so much brain fog that she had difficulty remembering basic facts about her job, dizziness so extreme that she had difficulty getting up from her chair and extreme fatigue that forced her to lie on top of her. reads as soon as she finishes working.

Sapi, a Lyme disease expert at New Haven University, now says the most important thing people can do to avoid the disease’s often nightmarish symptoms is to stop ticks from biting and spreading. bacteria in the first place.

“You don’t want to get this disease,” she said. “It’s horrible.”

Read more: Lyme disease turns people’s lives upside down, but insurance often doesn’t cover treatment for long-lasting symptoms

Here’s what you can do to protect yourself during peak tick bite season and lower your chances of getting Lyme disease.

Check yourself, your pets and your clothes for ticks

Tick ​​bacteria usually don’t enter your bloodstream for 36 to 48 hours after a bite. Therefore, performing tick checks every time you shower or after you go out can help you avoid catching a disease. You can pick up ticks in your own garden, not just on the trails, so regularly checking areas of your body where ticks are hiding, such as behind the knees or in the hairline, can reduce your chances of catching bacteria. .

Nymph ticks, which are the most likely to infect humans, can be as small as a poppy seed and difficult to spot, even if you look closely.

If you see a check mark, remove it immediately.

Limit exposed skin when you are outdoors and wear white

Sapi and his family wear long pants tucked under white socks when going on a hike to avoid ticks that might be hiding in the grass or brush. Wearing white socks and clothing makes it easier to spot the tiny ticks that are responsible for most infections, which are often brown or black.

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Use bug spray on yourself and permethrin on your clothes

Spraying tick repellent on yourself can deter ticks from attaching themselves and is part of Sapi’s hiking routine. You can also treat your clothes with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact.

Throw your clothes in the dryer after outdoor activities

Putting your clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least six minutes is enough to kill ticks, study finds.

Sapi takes it one step further – she takes off her clothes as soon as she gets home and immediately throws her laundry in the washer for a cycle, followed by the dryer.

Wash while you’re at it

You may be able to remove unattached ticks from your body with a washcloth or loofah. Plus, it’s easier to do a thorough tick check after you’ve already undressed. According to the Centers for Disease Control, showering within two hours of going indoors can lower your risk of getting Lyme disease.

Be careful, but don’t stop enjoying the weather outside

Sapi said people should keep going out, but remember to take basic safety precautions.

“At the end of the day, it’s prevention, prevention, prevention,” she said.

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