6 Ways to Spread Lyme Disease Awareness in Your Community
For those who may not know, May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month!
Lyme disease is one of the fastest growing vector-borne illnesses with an estimated over 300,000 new cases per year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection typically caused by a tick bite. It can cause symptoms such as fever, fatigue, joint pain and more.
Unfortunately, accurate tests for Lyme are lacking and there is no cure. According to Lymedisease.org, 56% of those with Lyme disease test negative on the tests recommended by the CDC. This can make it extremely hard for those living with Lyme to find a proper diagnosis and care.
Awareness is key when it comes to preventing Lyme disease, which is why we’re highlighting some ways you can raise Lyme disease awareness in your community — for Lyme Disease Awareness Month and beyond.
Here are five ways you can promote Lyme disease awareness:
1. Wear Your “Lyme” (Lime) Green
Fittingly, lime green is the awareness color for Lyme disease. If you have anything lime green (if not, you can find some really cool shirts here), wear it! Not only is it a fun and bright color, but it is also a great conversation starter. Often people will see a lime shirt and say, “that’s an unusual color, is that for anything?” Use it as an opportunity to talk about Lyme.
2. ‘Paint’ Your Town Green
A great way to spread awareness is to “paint” your town green! This can include putting a green lightbulb in your porch light or putting green ribbons on your mailbox, door or around town (with permission, of course).
3. Share Lyme Literature
via globallymealliance.org
There is a lot of Lyme literature out there. Some Lyme disease groups have downloadable brochures and signs you can print out, or you can make your own! Keep some with you at all times so you can share them when the moment arises. You can also go around to local businesses and ask if it would be okay to leave some brochures or flyers for its customers.
4. Schedule a Showing of ‘Under Our Skin’
“Under Our Skin” is an award-winning documentary that follows the lives of multiple people living with Lyme. This film showcases the challenges of living with Lyme disease as well as the history and controversy that surrounds it. It provides an eye-opening look into life with Lyme. You can try and schedule a showing at your local library, recreation center or anywhere you want. It is also on Amazon Prime Video for free!
5. Join or Create a Fundraiser
There are Lyme disease groups all over the world, and many have fundraisers for Lyme Disease Awareness Month. So if you find a local group, join their fundraiser! You can also join the virtual fundraiser of the #LymeDiseaseChallenge which consists of taking a bite out of a lime, sharing a picture/video of it and tagging others join in. If you can’t find a group fundraiser, consider starting one! You could organize a run, a silent auction, or whatever appeals to you. Having a fundraiser is a great way to help those living with Lyme and get others involved, too.
You can also join The Mighty’s Lyme disease community here.
6. Talk About Lyme
While you never should feel obligated to share your own health information, one of the best ways to spread Lyme awareness is to talk about it. This can be talking in the literal sense or posting about it. You can share facts and pictures about Lyme on social media. You can also post thoughts and questions about Lyme on The Mighty’s platform to get the conversation going!
Hopefully, this list gave you some ideas of how to spread Lyme disease awareness in your community. Awareness is key, so let’s work together to spread awareness and promote Lyme literacy.