By tick bite Lyme disease and TBE

Tick ​​bites can cause Lyme disease and TBE

16/06/2011

Summer time is tick time. In the warm weather conditions, the activity of the small bloodsuckers increases and at the same time more people are outdoors, the number of tick bites increases significantly in the summer months. If sufferers discover a sticky tick, they often feel disgusted and panic-stricken. They try to remove the bloodsuckers as quickly as possible, but make regular mistakes that significantly increase the health risk of the tick bite.

Because ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease and the so-called tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The pathogens enter the human organism via the puncture wound and can cause serious health problems here. To minimize the transmission risk of Lyme disease and TBE agents, the ticks should be removed as soon as possible with a narrow tweezers or ticks, as the annually recurring warning from the Professional Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ). Squeezing of the body of the tic, according to the experts, should be avoided during removal, as otherwise the more pathogens are released into the wound.

Do not underestimate the health risks of tick bites
Due to the transmission risk of Lyme disease and FSME, the health consequences of a tick bite should not be underestimated, the experts of the BVKJ warn. However, the risk of infection from a tick bite in TBE is not everywhere in Germany. On the so-called tick cards are recorded risk area in which the ticks potentially transmit FSME. Lyme disease pathogens, on the other hand, can carry ticks throughout Germany. In addition, if needed, people can protect themselves from the dreaded tick-borne encephalitis by vaccination, but there is no borreliosis vaccine yet. Thus, according to the experts in Germany significantly more people are infected by a tick bite with Lyme disease than with FSME. Both the symptoms of a Lyme disease infection and the signs of TBE should be an urgent need for a visit to the doctor, warn the health authorities and medical professionals.

Health consequences of early-summer meningoencephalitis
The health consequences of tick-borne encephalitis are often much more severe than with Lyme disease and more difficult to treat. The disease progression of tick-borne encephalitis can be subdivided into two phases. The initial stage of viral infection in which flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches accompanied by fatigue, digestive problems, as well as nausea and loss of appetite may occur. Followed by a symptom-free period of up to two weeks, which gives those affected the impression that they have already survived the disease. The FSEM then goes into a second phase of illness in which, in addition to the original symptoms, further significant health impairments can occur. It also often affects the neural system of those affected and the patients show the typical symptoms of meningitis (encephalitis) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Motor disturbances, dizziness, speech disturbances, emotional disturbances, massive fatigue and photosensitivity are also common symptoms in the second phase of TBE, such as paralysis, respiratory problems and impaired consciousness. In particularly severe disease, the tick-borne encephalitis may also lead to coma or, in the worst case, death of the patient. The possibilities of medical treatment are extremely limited and around 70 percent of TBE patients suffer from lengthy consequential damage, reported the expert Dr. med. Reinhard Kaiser, Head of Neurology at the Municipal Clinic Pforzheim in March at a press conference at the University of Hohenheim.

Germany-wide 850,000 Lyme disease infections annually
At first glance less dramatic for the health are the consequences of a Lyme disease infection. But the impression can be fooled here too. Although borreliosis can be combated relatively efficiently with antibiotics in the initial stage, the disease often goes into a chronic stage and can then cause significant health problems for those affected. According to the experts of the German Lyme disease Society, about 850,000 people in Germany suffer from Lyme disease, whereby the diagnosis of the disease is made considerably more difficult by the extremely variable symptoms. This also explains why a large number of Lyme disease cases go into a chronic stage of disease before treatment is started. Borreliosis infections can also be subdivided into different disease stages, with a red erupting rash (erythema migrans) around the puncture site being relatively common in the early stages immediately after the tick bite. This is considered a typical sign of Lyme disease infection. In addition, influenza-like symptoms such as general fatigue, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain also occur in the early stages of Lyme disease. The nonspecific symptoms are often accompanied by inflammatory symptoms such as conjunctivitis, lymphadenopathy and lymphadenopathy, inflammation of the pharyngitis and bronchitis.

Chronic Lyme disease causes massive health problems
If the Borreliose infection is not treated in the initial phase, sets after weeks - sometimes only months - the second stage of the disease. The pathogens begin to spread in the body and can affect many other organs. As symptoms occur, for example, changing joint pain, visual disturbances, disorders of the sense of touch and heart problems. Also, spinal cord diseases, nerve inflammation in peripheral areas and other neuronal disorders are possible consequences of Lyme disease infection. The Lyme disease pathogens in the second stage of the disease infect not only other organs, joints and muscles but also the central and peripheral nervous system. If successful treatment is not given in this serious phase of the disease, the Lyme disease is in danger of becoming chronic. Chronic Lyme disease brings massive health problems for those affected and can cause far-reaching impairments in everyday life. The previous symptoms are increasing and new ones are added. In particular, the nerve tracts and ends as well as the joints - especially knees and hocks - are affected. Damage to the central nervous system can also trigger concomitant symptoms such as speech disorders, visual disturbances, sleep disorders, earache or cysts.

Avoid infections caused by tick bites - but how?
To avoid infection by a tick bite, the experts recommend to observe certain precautions when staying in the countryside. Body-covering clothing, sturdy shoes and the thorough scanning of the whole body when returning from nature form the basis here. Anyone who discovers an attached tick should not try to remove it with supposed tricks such as oil, glue or alcohol, but rather gently loosen the bloodsuckers with a fine pair of tweezers, if possible without turning or bruising the tick, the experts say. If the head of the animal leaves and remains in the wound, the risk of inflammation of the wound increases. Therefore, instinct is needed. Those who do not trust this can always find help with the doctor, who can safely remove the tick with appropriate tools. However, those affected should not wait too long, because the shorter the animals adhere, the lower the risk of infection in a tick bite. (Fp)

Also read:
Doctors: carefully remove ticks with tweezers
The tick season has begun
Health: The time of the ticks has begun
Ticks are best removed with tweezers
TBE and Lyme disease by tick bites
Prevention: Do not panic with ticks
Health: No vaccination against ticks