Now I'm not a doctor and don't claim to be an expert in Lyme disease. However, when folks go camping they sometimes get bitten by ticks and some ticks spread Lyme disease. Because I have had friends whose Lyme disease went undetected for years and were told they had all sorts of other really nasty issues, I want to make sure you take a few minutes to educate your self on the symptoms of Lyme disease.
Here's a handy article on checking yourself for ticks. Some people use DEET to keep ticks aways, but if you don't want to use DEET, I have had wonderful results protecting myself by wearing long pants and shirts while dousing myself in Euculyptus, Citronella and Pennyroyal oil. (Note if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, DO NOT use Pennyroyal oil).
I do know that the longer your Lyme disease goes without being treated, the harder it is to treat.
So take the time to read this handy article on PubMed Health. If at the gathering, you suspect you have contracted Lyme disease, please go to CALM. If after the gathering you suspect you have contracted Lyme disease, please inform your health care provider that you want to be tested for Lyme disease.
Be advised that while this concoction may be beneficial to Karin it may not be for YOU. For one Pennyroyal is a “highly toxic volatile organic compound” (1) and for that reason you should read the links I have provided so you can make an informed decision before applying these oils onto your skin such as doing a small (diluted) amount first to test for a reaction (2). It is apparent to me that Karin has built up a tolerance to both Eucalyptus and Pennyroyal so “dousing” herself isn’t harmful to her, but she would be the exception NOT the rule. You need to test these oils before you go out to the woods so you don't find out there you’re intolerant and become sick from their toxicity and never use them on children under six until you’ve had time to test them in stages of dilution which at this writing is not enough time before the gathering so I would suggest not using it on YOUR children until you’ve had the time to run a proper series of tests. Keep Pennyroyal away from your pets. If you are using it on your skin do not let your dog lick you (2).
ReplyDelete(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha_pulegium
(2) http://web.archive.org/web/20080423092220/http://bitsandbrew.com/warning1.htm
I would ask everyone to find the method that makes sense for you. What ever you use or do, don't get it into creeks and other surface waters.
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