Lyme disease becoming year-round health concern; here’s what you need to know to stay safe

PITTSBURGH — Pennsylvania continues to be one of the top states in the Northeast for reported cases of Lyme disease.

In fact, almost 30% of all reported cases come from Pennsylvania. And, although it used to be considered a summertime problem, it’s now become a year-round health concern that can have a devastating impact.

Trevor Katich was an active 15-year-old who loved sports when he was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

“The disease is like a mental fog I was a straight A student and after I got it my grades started tanking too it was really hard to keep up I mean everything in my life flipped upside down,” Katich said.

Twelve years later, Katich still has side effects from the disease, like a baseline tremor in his hands.

Jeff Covelli’s son Alex was a high school runner until he developed Lyme disease.

“He went from 250-pound cross country athlete down to 94 pounds where he could barely stand up. Went from running 10 miles a day to not being able to walk 10 feet without a walker,” Covelli said. “You had a perfectly healthy child in front of you was now could barely walk ten steps.”

The disease impacted Alex’s heart. Left untreated, Lyme disease can be a serious health problem.

Dr. Rasha Amdulmassih is an infectious disease specialist for Allegheny Health Network. She and her colleagues now diagnose and treat patients with Lyme disease year-round.

“I think it’s mostly because of the weather changing and people being able to do more outdoor activities in November and December when before that. We did not used to do that at that time of the year,” Dr. Amdulmassih said.

Dr. Amdulmassih says most patients don’t realize you can get sick in the fall and winter, and many don’t realize you don’t have to be deep in the woods to come in contact with infected ticks.

“Almost 50% of patients, they don’t report being hiking or bike in any area. They’re just in their backyard,” Dr. Amdulmassih said.

Most people recognize the bullseye rash that can develop after a tick bite, but sometimes the rash is subtle or there’s not one at all. That’s why doctor warn people to check for ticks in hard-to-see spots like behind the knees or on the back of your legs.

Diagnosis and early treatment is the best way to fight Lyme disease.

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