UI Health Care is ready to keep you safe when Lyme disease and other hazards threaten summer fun
Enjoying the outdoors comes with its share of nuisances, including Lyme disease. June, July, and August are Iowa’s peak months for Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can lead to serious long-term health issues if left untreated.
To stay safe, healthy, and active all summer long, be sure to get the same-day care you need from University of Iowa Health Care’s convenient UI QuickCare and UI Urgent Care locations.
With evening, weekend, and holiday hours and a telehealth video visit option, UI QuickCare and UI Urgent Care provide safe, timely care for the tick and insect bites, rashes, and other minor injuries that can take some of the fun out of your summer if you don’t get them taken care of quickly.
You can walk in to any UI QuickCare and UI Urgent Care location, or you can choose your arrival time in advance.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, most cases of Lyme disease in Iowa are reported during June, July, and August, and most of those happen in the eastern half of the state.
“It’s important to protect yourself while you’re out having fun, but if you do find a tick after you’ve been outside, it’s also important to know what to do if you think you’re at risk for Lyme disease,” says family medicine physician Katherine L. Imborek, MD, director of Offsite Primary Care for UI Health Care. “Our UI QuickCare and UI Urgent Care locations are there to take care of you during off hours or when your primary care provider isn’t available to see you right away.”
Protection includes applying insect repellent and wearing light-colored protective clothing with long sleeves and long pant legs tucked into socks. After you’ve been outside, check yourself thoroughly for ticks.
“Early symptoms of Lyme disease include a characteristic ‘bull’s-eye’ rash and symptoms of a viral infection,” says Nate Shaw, MD, a family medicine physician and medical director of UI Urgent Care. “Without appropriate treatment, the infection can become much more dangerous and involve the brain, eyes, heart, joints, and skin.”
If you do find a tick, you may be able to remove it with tweezers and put it in a plastic bag for later identification or testing, but Shaw says UI QuickCare and UI Urgent Care providers are ready to help you with that.
“We can help to decrease the risk for Lyme disease following a tick bite by removing the tick and prescribing a single dose of an antibiotic, treat Lyme disease by prescribing a full course of antibiotics, and/or order laboratory testing to confirm the diagnosis of Lyme disease if needed,” he says.
When you need care for any minor injuries or illness this summer, UI Health Care has the same-day care options you need to stay safe and healthy. Choose the UI QuickCare or UI Urgent Care location that works for you.