Regarding Lyme, my 3 year old daughter recently got infected so I’ve since learned a lot about this.  Lyme is one of the more misunderstood infections and, as more is learned, they’re actually finding several diseases later in life such as arthritis can actually sometimes be a Lyme infection unbeknownst to the person.  A Lyme rash does not always appear and so you or your child could become infected without realizing it.  If you do receive an infection (and the bullseye rash is basically a guarantee you have it), the current practice guidelines are arguably questionable in their effectiveness.  Typically, they prescribe 2 weeks of antibiotics, which may not be enough given the bacteria is one of the craftiest at quickly hiding inside your body.  If you are infected, and especially if you learn you’ve got a chronic infection from years past, you may want to consider finding what they call a “Lyme Literate Physician” that specializes in Lyme Disease.  You can Google how to find one and you might just have to submit a request for a referral in your local area, since many doctors don’t like to advertise that they deviate from standard treatment protocols.  I forget who I asked for the referral, but it may have been ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society).

Also, in addition to those measures mentioned on the show today, there are also herbal options for added prevention.  Astragalus root in particular has been shown to heighten your immune system’s ability to spot the infection quickly, increasing the chances of effectively eliminating it before the bacteria can spread and hide.  It can be taken as a pill, tincture, or even by just boiling in the root with regular cooking (such as boiling rice) so as to infuse the food.  It’s best to keep this going from spring through fall if you live in areas with ticks.  That being said, an interesting citizen science study (source) that recently asked people to mail in any and all ticks they found on themselves or pets suggests ticks are far more widespread than originally thought and carry more bacterial diseases than thought.  This is certainly something we should be diligent about when tromping through the outdoors.  Don’t let it stop you (as Jack said), but Lyme should definitely be taken seriously.