Monday, March 13, 2023

How climate change affects Lyme disease

Plus more health news |

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Does a warmer climate mean more ticks?
By Jeffrey Kluger
Editor-at-Large

If you’re worried about Lyme disease and the blacklegged tick that carries the bacteria that cause it, it stands to reason that you should be worried about climate change, too. Shorter, milder winters and hotter, longer summers are, after all, increasing the ticks’ range and season across the northeastern U.S. But the connection between climate change and the threat of ticks isn't that simple.

The blacklegged tick, it turns out, is a fragile species. Just as climate change is causing precisely the right conditions to expand the ticks’ population in the Northeast, it’s leading to droughts, heat waves, and wildfires in other regions (namely the South, the plains, and the West) that are killing off the species there. Even in the Northeast, climate might not be the biggest driver of the ticks’ expansion. More important may be the spread of the ticks’ key host—white-tailed deer—which have lost their fear of humans and the built environment and are increasingly wandering out of the woods and into neighborhoods and backyards.

If you live where the ticks do, read on to learn how to protect yourself from Lyme disease, what the symptoms are, and how to treat the disease once you’ve got it.

READ MORE

What else to read
The VA Will Pay for Some to Get New Alzheimer's Drug
By John Tozzi and Robert Langreth/Bloomberg
It's a move toward broader coverage of the controversial drug category.
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You Can Now Calculate Your Grocery List’s Carbon Footprint
By Aryn Baker
A new tool lists the emissions of 10,000 grocery store items. Here's what it's like to try and create a more climate-friendly grocery list.
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How Menopause Affects Cholesterol—And How to Manage It
By Katherine Harmon Courage
Cholesterol rises for nearly everyone who goes through menopause
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No, Coffee and Tea Aren’t Actually Dehydrating. Here’s Why
By Jamie Ducharme
Instead, it's quite the opposite. (Originally published in 2018.)
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Why You Should Always Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them
By Markham Heid
The chemicals used in manufacturing clothing are potentially bad for your skin. (Originally published in 2019.)
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AN EXPERT VOICE

"When I was experiencing severe anxiety and overwhelm, my former therapist taught me the power of a 'goodbye shower.' At the end of your day, take a shower and visualize all the tough moments from the day washing off you and going down the drain."

—Katherine Chan, psychotherapist based in Los Angeles 

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Today's newsletter was written by Jeffrey Kluger and Angela Haupt, and edited by Mandy Oaklander.

 
 
 
 
 
 

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