Welcome Dr. Guaraldi to SNFW!!!

WELCOME!!!
Dr. Catharine Guaraldi, naturopathic physician and midwife, has joined SNFWs team of providers. Dr. Guaraldi brings a unique skill set to our healthcare offerings with her ability to perform structural integration and to do naturopathic spinal adjustments when indicated. You can read all about her in the providers section of the website. We are very excited to have her!

Dr. Guaraldi will be covering the practice while I am away on maternity leave and will stay on afterwards as a permanent member of the team. I feel comfortable that you all will be in great, healing hands while I am away!

Lyme Disease Prevention:
It is that time of year... Ticks are out in force, especially this year due to our early, albeit lovely, spring. Please take precautions when out in nature, especially May through mid-July when tick counts are the highest. 

Tick Repellants:
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, a naturally derived plant based substance that has been shown in comparative studies, to be as effective as low concentrations of DEET in repelling mosquitoes, black flies, and gnats. Some products also state a 6 hour protection time against deer ticks. Here are a few brands you may want to investigate, or you can simply get oil of lemon eucalyptus by itself and apply as needed.

1. Citrapel Lotion Insect Repellant OR Ctirapel Lotion OR Citrapel Plus by Citrefine International LTD
2. Fite Bite by Travel Medicine
3. Repel Essential Insect Repellant Lotion by WPC Brands, Inc.
4. Treefrog Insect Repellant by Tree Frog Products LLC (2 Hour Protection from ticks)
   
Deer ticks, the vector for Lyme, are generally found in brushy or wooded areas, near the ground. They cannot jump or fly. Know what to look for. Unfed ticks range in size from the size of a poppy seed to the size of a sesame seed, which means they are easy to miss in the first 24 hours before they grow due to engorgement of blood. Check your body over carefully after you return from a nature outing! If you do find a tick on your skin, follow these recommendations for proper removal:

How to remove a tick
1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.

2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal and monitor for signs of infection.

3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. 


As always, this newsletter is meant to be a source of information for you! If there is a topic you would like addressed in a future issue, please let us know.
In Health,
SNFW Staff