Spring: Tick Season & Lyme Awareness
- Dr. David Collings ND
- Apr 12
- 2 min read
As some of you may know, treating Lyme disease is one of my passions. As a Lyme-literate Naturopathic doctor, I am one of the few ILADS [International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society] member physicians in Ontario (https://www.ilads.org/patient-care/provider-search).
Spring is in the air, and so are the biting insects that can carry (or vectors) for infection. Reminder to perform tick checks on yourself and loved ones after coming in from outdoors (especially grassy/ wooded areas), especially the warm parts of your body (groin etc). If you find a tick on yourself you can save it & send it for private Lyme testing at a lab in Ontario like GeneTicks: https://geneticks.ca/submit-a-tick-for-testing
- The genetick website also has a helpful video for tick removal demonstration.
Both Tick removal kits, and natural tick repellent bracelets (with geranium essential oil) are available at the Queens pharmacy for under $5, and are a must for outdoors-men/ campers!
If you do have a tick bite, seek prophylactic (preventative) antibiotics which you can usually get a single dose from a pharmacist, and sometimes a longer dose from a walk in/GP, or even online with a Medical doctor like Dr. Martin, MD (who is affiliated with our clinic), can book a 20 min virtual appointment for acute tick bite consult with her at:
When in doubt an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so never ignore a tick bite!
There are also plenty of short term immune boosting & bacteria killing herbs you can take if you have a tick bite (in addition to any antibiotics you may be using) and encourage everyone to book a quick consult with me to discuss & prescribe said medicines. Of course if you do develop chronic or persistent Lyme, that is something we can treat with herbal and naturopathic medicine as well.
By Dr David Collings, ND.
Can book Dr. David Collings, ND online at:
or by contacting the Queens Health Centre at (705) 250-9544.
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