Your Body Almanac

Rhode Island

Small state, big Lyme numbers, and radon in the south.

Rhode Island has one of the highest Lyme disease rates in the country. Its southern counties sit in EPA's highest radon zone, and at Boston's latitude the winter sun makes little vitamin D.

01

Ticks and Lyme disease

Rhode Island is one of the states CDC classifies as high-incidence for Lyme disease, and in 2022 it reported one of the highest rates per person of any state. Blacklegged ticks live in woods, brush and leaf litter, including yards. Untreated Lyme can affect joints, the heart and nerves.

SourcesAbout Lyme Disease (CDC)Surveillance for Lyme Disease After Implementation of a Revised Case Definition — United States, 2022 (CDC MMWR)
Check for ticksAs neededAfter time in grass or woods, check your whole body, shower within two hours and dry your clothes on high heat. Use insect repellentAs neededUse an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin when mosquitoes or ticks are around.
02

Radon in Kent and Washington counties

Radon is an invisible, odorless radioactive gas that seeps from soil into homes and is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who don't smoke. EPA's map puts Kent and Washington counties in Zone 1, its highest-risk category. Homes anywhere can test high, so test yours.

SourcesRhode Island — EPA Map of Radon Zones (EPA)Health risk of radon (EPA)
Test your home for radonAs neededRadon is invisible and odorless, so a simple test is the only way to know your level. Fix it at 4 pCi/L or higher.
03

Little winter sun for vitamin D

Your skin makes vitamin D from the sun's UVB rays. A classic study found that winter sunlight in Boston, at 42 degrees north, made no vitamin D in skin from November through February. Rhode Island sits at nearly the same latitude, so in winter food is the more reliable source.

SourcesVitamin D — Health Professional Fact Sheet (NIH ODS)Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3 (Webb et al., 1988, PubMed)
Get vitamin D from foodDailyEat fatty fish, fortified milk and UV-exposed mushrooms so you are not relying on the sun alone. Ask your doctor about vitamin DYearlyIf you get little sun or few vitamin D foods, ask at your checkup whether testing or a supplement makes sense for you.

When to see a professional

See a doctor for an expanding rash, fever, facial droop or joint swelling after a tick bite.