2024-04-19 05:34:18
Eglė Marciuškienė, a laboratory medicine doctor at the “Antėja” Medical Center, says that the questions about diseases transmitted by ticks are endless, so she shares the most important information about what to do when you notice a parasite on the body and how to distinguish between two problems that bother you every summer without rest – tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease .
According to a well-known doctor, it is important to be able to distinguish ticks from other arachnids that abound in the forest. She points out that ticks have four pairs of legs and no antennae. They do not jump, gently crawl on the surface of the skin and can be absorbed without being noticed without pain.
“After sucking in, the ticks insert their heads under the skin and inject a cocktail of various substances into the human body. Some of these substances have a blood-thinning effect, while others have an analgesic effect. Also, it should be remembered that tick bites are usually not felt, so after being in nature, you should check as a preventive measure whether the tick has not sucked anywhere”, reminds E. Marciuškienė.
Timing of tick extraction is important
Although the public is mostly afraid of two diseases transmitted by ticks, the doctor says that they can transmit more than 20 different diseases to people and animals. Anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and tularemia are widespread diseases in Europe, but Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis are the most commonly diagnosed in Lithuania.
“A person can become infected with Lyme disease if the tick has been sucked in for more than a day, and the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis is found in the salivary glands of ticks, so tick-borne encephalitis is contracted as soon as the tick bites. Therefore, if you notice a tick on your skin or clothes, it is very important to remove it immediately,” warns the doctor.
To remove a tick from the body, people usually look for information on how to do it on the Internet. E. Marciuškienė emphasizes that not all tick removal methods found on the Internet are effective, and some may even worsen the situation.
“If you notice a tick sucking on your body, do not under any circumstances pour oil, vinegar, alcohol or other liquids on it, because ticks do not die in liquids for some time. However, if the latter still dies because of this and is infected, the probability of a person becoming infected with diseases spread by it increases. The most effective way to remove a tick is to pull it out.
Although it is believed that the tick should only be pulled out by turning it clockwise, in fact it is not necessary to turn it. The most important thing is to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and remove it with a sudden movement, trying not to separate the body from the head. If you still couldn’t completely remove the tick because of this, don’t worry. After some time, it will disappear from your skin by itself like a pattern,” the specialist shares her advice.
The symptoms are similar, but it is necessary to distinguish them
Although Lyme disease is caused by bacteria and tick-borne encephalitis by a virus, the initial symptoms of both diseases can be quite similar. The doctor warns that in both cases flu-like symptoms may occur: fever, fatigue, chills, muscle and headache pains.
However, approximately 70-80% infected with Lyme disease, the hallmark symptom of the disease is a red spot or migrating erythema that spreads from the site of the tick bite. The doctor advises to draw a ring around this place to monitor possible changes.
According to E. Marciuskienė, Lyme disease can also have other, non-specific symptoms. These include sensitivity to light and noise, cognitive and memory problems, fatigue, stiff neck, facial paralysis, numbness and tingling.
An untreated infection can spread anywhere on the body and cause about 70 different symptoms, so if you notice the above symptoms 3-30 days after the tick is attached, it is important to see your family doctor who will prescribe antibiotic treatment.
Similar to Lyme disease, symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis appear after an incubation period of 2-28 (average 7-14) days, and the course of the disease usually consists of two waves.
“Symptoms of the first wave, often similar to flu or other viral diseases, last for 5 days. This is followed by a period of “apparent improvement” which can last from 1 to 21 days. The second wave is characterized by symptoms of damage to the central nervous system – fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, neck muscle stiffness, positive meningeal symptoms.
The third form is characterized by symptoms of the meningoencephalitis form, which is often accompanied by symptoms of damage to the spinal cord, nerve roots or spinal nerves, ie paresis, sensory and motor disorders,” says the doctor.
The most effective means of managing tick-borne encephalitis is vaccination
According to the specialist, there is no effective treatment for antiviral encephalitis, and those who get it can suffer long-term neurological consequences – even 26-56 percent do not fully recover. patients. Therefore, the doctor emphasizes the importance of preventive vaccinations for this disease.
“It is recommended to vaccinate before the peak activity of ticks begins, preferably in winter or early spring. The first two doses of the vaccine are administered at an interval of 1-3 months, and the third dose is administered 5-12 months after the second,” says E. Marciuskienė. However, according to the specialist, those who think about protection against encephalitis later, when the ticks are already active, can be applied with an accelerated vaccination plan.
“Later on, strengthening doses are needed, which depend on the person’s age, concomitant diseases, and the immune system. Therefore, the vaccination intervals may differ,” says the doctor.
2024-04-19 05:34:18