Your Body Almanac

West Virginia

Lyme ticks moving in, and radon in the eastern hills.

West Virginia has joined the list of high-incidence Lyme disease states, and its eastern and northern counties sit in EPA's highest radon zone. The winter sun is low enough to make vitamin D scarce for a few months.

01

Ticks and Lyme disease

West Virginia is one of the states CDC now classifies as high-incidence for Lyme disease. Blacklegged ticks live in woods, tall grass and leaf litter. 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 the east and the northern panhandle

Radon is an invisible, odorless radioactive gas that seeps from soil and rock into homes and is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who don't smoke. EPA's map puts the eastern counties and the northern panhandle in Zone 1, its highest-risk category. Testing is the only way to know your home's level.

SourcesWest Virginia — EPA Map of Radon Zones (EPA)Radiation, Toxics and Indoor Air Division (West Virginia Office of Environmental Health Services)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

Weak winter sun and vitamin D

Your skin makes vitamin D from the sun's UVB rays, and the winter sun sits low. A classic study found no vitamin D made in skin from winter sunlight at 42 degrees north from November through February, while sunlight at 34 degrees north still worked. West Virginia lies between the two, so winter sun is a weaker source and food matters more.

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. Tell your doctor about long-term radon exposure, especially if you smoke or used to.