You are in Parenting and Pregnancy . The illness is on the rise among children, but you can take the right precautions to keep your family tick-free. A couple of weeks later, Sally was shocked to discover that the side of Amy's face had begun drooping. While numbers are on the rise among all age groups, the increase is particularly worrisome to people with children.
Parents see it as a real problem.
Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by deer ticks and black-legged ticks. Facial nerve palsy, like Amy had, can also occur. Sufferers who aren't treated soon enough after the tick bite can suffer chronic problems ranging from joint pain to heart problems to neurological disorders. While experts warn people to take precautions during the spring and summer months, when the risk for contracting Lyme disease peaks, they aren't calling for extreme measures. Even if you do get a tick bite, in most areas chances are only one in 100 to one in 1,000 that you'll get the disease.