The tick season has begun

Prevent tick bites with proper clothing

05.04.2011

Many health officials and health professionals have issued ticks warnings and protections against the tiny bloodsuckers, given the warmer weather over the past few weeks. Because the health risk of a tick bite is not to be underestimated, since in the suction dangerous pathogens can enter the body of the host.

In the course of the onset of spring weather, the risk of tick bites increases. It is associated with the beginning of the tick season also an increased risk of Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), experts warn. Although the risk of infection with a tick bite is generally rather low, especially in the risk areas, people should protect themselves from the blood-sucking pathogens when staying outdoors.

Effective tick protection through appropriate clothing
The most effective way to protect yourself from tick bites or Lyme disease and TBE is clothing. Long sleeved tops and long trousers with tight cuffs and sturdy footwear provide relatively efficient tick protection when staying outdoors. It is also helpful to resort to light clothing, as the tiny bloodsuckers are clearly better recognizable on this. Upon return, the entire body should be thoroughly screened and attached ticks removed with a fine pair of tweezers or tweezers. Contusions or twists of the animals are to be avoided as well as the treatment with glue or oil, since otherwise the tick releases its stomach contents into the wound and thereby all the more dangerous pathogens can be transferred. If the tick is removed directly, the risk of infection is relatively low, according to the experts, since experience has shown that only very few pathogens are transmitted in the first 24 hours.

Watch the puncture wound after tick bite closely
However, after a tick bite the puncture site should be closely monitored in the coming days, as a possible inflammation or Lyme disease can often already be seen on the wound. For red spots around the bite wound, a doctor's visit is urgently recommended, as these redness is a typical sign of Lyme disease. Even if flu-like symptoms appear after the tick bite, a doctor should be consulted as both Lyme disease and early-stage tick borne encephalitis are characterized by appropriate symptoms. At the same time, the health risks should by no means be underestimated, as there are serious health risks. So explained Dr. Reinhard Kaiser, head of neurology at the Municipal Hospital Pforzheim last month at a press conference at the University of Hohenheim, said that around 70 percent of TBE patients suffer lengthy sequelae.

Consequences of TBE disease
The initially rather harmless flu-like symptoms of TBE such as fever, headache and body aches can be followed by significant health problems such as paralysis, breathing problems, impaired consciousness or language and balance disorders. „Ten years after infection, half of the patients suffered from paralysis, respiratory failure, balance disorders or difficulty swallowing and speaking“, stressed Kaiser referring to the results of a recent long-term study. According to the expert, a total of 30 percent of the study participants within ten years of the consequences of the tick-borne encephalitis died. However, it is possible to protect yourself from the disease by a TBE vaccination and the health authorities advise especially residents in the so-called risk areas to take advantage of this opportunity. As an indication of the risk of TBE transmission by a tick bite, Germany-wide so-called risk areas were determined, which can be read in corresponding maps. The risk areas are concentrated mainly on Bavaria, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg

Health risk Lyme disease
The borreliosis transmitted by tick bites also represents a considerable burden on health, with the typical red spots as well as flu-like symptoms „Disease Flu“, are a clear indication of the disease. Although borreliosis can be treated with antibiotics relatively promisingly in the initial stage, the disease is often recognized too late and the pathogens begin to scatter in the body. It threatens the chronic Lyme disease, which is characterized in addition to the symptoms already mentioned by significant fatigue and exhaustion, joint and limb pain and occasionally blurred vision and heart problems. In the chronic stage, the Lyme disease pathogens can affect not only other organs, joints and muscles but also the central and peripheral nervous system. (Fp)

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Image: Tamara Hoffmann