Hiking, camping, golfing, fishing, biking...your to-do list of summer adventures may be a long one.

Getting active outdoors is a great way to enjoy summer, whether on vacation or in your retirement. A word of caution however before heading outdoors: be aware of a tiny tick that can pose a big problem, especially for older adults.

Lyme disease is a serious illness that can be spread by tiny, hard-to-see bugs called 'ticks.' Ticks that carry the Lyme disease have been found throughout Ontario, mainly on the north shores of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, as well as in some provincial parks. These blacklegged, or 'deer' ticks do not fly, and will settle low to the ground on tall grasses, shrubs and bushes. Ticks act like hitchhikers, attaching themselves to people. Ticks will then feed on the person's blood, but frequently a tick bite is not noticed since it is painless and does not itch.

If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious and permanent health problems in a person, including headaches, dizziness, numbness, joint pains, abnormal heart beat and even paralysis.

The good news is that Lyme disease is easily treated when detected early.

However, Lyme disease can be overlooked since its symptoms are very similar to other ailments.

Symptoms of Lyme disease, which occur within 3 to 30 days of being bitten by a tick, include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains and fatigue. A telltale sign of Lyme disease is a circular, or 'bull's eye,' rash that radiates from the point of the bite. If you start to experience the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease, visit your health care provider to see if you should be tested. Early treatment with antibiotics is successful in most cases.

Ultimately, prevention is the best medicine for Lyme disease. That means reducing the risk of ticks biting you in the first place, and that can be done by:

* Wearing light-coloured clothing, which makes ticks easier to spot.

* Wearing closed footwear and socks, a long sleeved shirt and long pants. Tucking pants into socks can also help.

* Using a tick repellent containing DEET and following the manufacturer's directions.

* Searching your body for ticks at least once a day if outside in areas where there is long grass or heavy bushes, paying special attention to the scalp, groin and armpit areas.

* If outside with the family dog or cat, check your pet for ticks as well.

If you find a tick on your body, use tweezers to remove it, grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible. Save the live tick in a jar or screw-top bottle, and take it to your local health unit office to be sent for testing for Lyme disease.

Anne Alexander is director of environmental health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.