Your Body Almanac

Vermont

Lyme ticks in green summers, little sun and deep cold in winter.

Vermont is one of the high-incidence Lyme disease states. Its northern winters are long and cold, with too little sun to make vitamin D for months, and EPA rates most of the state as moderate for radon.

01

Ticks and Lyme disease

Vermont is one of the states CDC classifies as high-incidence for Lyme disease. Blacklegged ticks live in woods, fields and leaf litter, and in yards that border them. 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

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. All of Vermont lies north of that, so through the 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.
04

Radon in homes

Radon is an invisible, odorless radioactive gas from uranium in rock and soil, and it is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who don't smoke. EPA's map rates nearly all of Vermont as Zone 2, moderate potential. Levels vary from house to house, so EPA recommends testing every home.

SourcesVermont — 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.

When to see a professional

See a doctor for an expanding rash, fever, facial droop or joint swelling after a tick bite. Get care for numb, hard or waxy-looking skin after cold exposure.