Tick season is one reason for health authorities to warn people that there are in fact ways to protect ourselves from Lyme disease, an illness that can have serious complications on an infected person’s heart and brain even.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of Lyme disease occurrences has increased in the past years, and areas such as Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and upstate New York have the highest rates of Lyme disease.

Persons who get infected can seek treatment, as a few weeks of antibiotics should do the trick. However, it’s better to prevent than treat, so here are a few tips about what people need to do in order to avoid Lyme disease:

- Camping areas, usually wooded and bushy, should be avoided, as they hide large populations of ticks;

- Use tick repellants containing DEET or permethrin, and avoid skin exposure by wearing long pants, preferably tucked into boots, and long-sleeved shirts;

- Light-colored clothing will allow you to easily spot the ticks;

- Remember that mid-May through mid-July is the peak time of the year for ticks, so every outdoor activity should end up with a check for ticks.

In order to reduce the number of ticks around houses, people should keep lawns mowed, brush trimmed and leaf litter away from the home and also keep trails or paths in wooded areas on their property clear of vegetation.

Lyme disease symptoms include rashes in places that have been bitten, fever and fatigue, as well as headaches and muscle aches. If left untreated, it can cause severe headaches, heart and brain problems.

Last year the number of Lyme disease cases increased because people failed to take precautions. This year, health officials hope that by making people more aware of the dangers they are exposed to, they might become more cautious during outdoor activities.