Summer, tick time Keep the ticks away from your skin

Attention: The ticks are coming

When temperatures rise outside, the danger of ticks increases as well. The sting as such is not dangerous, but the infections that are transmitted more frequently. The greatest danger arises from the transmission of Lyme disease and TBE (tick-borne encephalitis). Experts estimate that about every tenth tick is infected.

Tick-borne encephalitis

TBE is a collective term for various forms of meningitis, probably caused by a virus. They show up by a grippales precursor stage and lead in the further course to permanent paralysis, swallowing and speech disturbances as well as to consciousness disturbances. There is currently no specific treatment for TBE, but vaccination can protect it. FSME is rarely transmitted whereas Lyme disease is more prevalent.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is a master of camouflage. Many diseases correspond to their symptoms and depend on where the pathogens have spread through the bloodstream in the body. These include muscle and joint pain, numb limbs, fever, stomach and intestinal complaints, great tiredness, disorders of the autonomic nervous system and anxiety and aggression. In most cases, Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. There are also homeopathic treatments. In Germany, depending on the region, between 25 and 100 people per 100,000 inhabitants suffer from Lyme disease every year, in Austria between 150 and 300 people per 100,000.

Unlike TBE, no vaccine has been found to fight Lyme disease. Because these bacteria sitting in the intestine of the tick, the so-called Borrelia are extremely clever: Thanks to their ingenious information system, they immediately recognize whether the tick has tapped the blood of a dog, a mouse or a human and adapt their metabolism to that of the host. In this way, they outsmart their immune cells and can migrate unnoticed from the intestine to the salivary glands of the tick. Thus, it takes a while until infection. US studies show that after 12 hours of suction there is no danger, after 24 hours, the risk of infection is 30 percent and after 48 hours almost 100 percent.

If after the sting around the puncture site a red circle, the so - called Borreliose - Wanderröte forms, a doctor should be visited; this can occur only after days or weeks. In contrast, some people do not develop a wandering color. In addition, some people are symptom free, although they have been proven to be infected. Whether their immune system has successfully fought Borrelia or whether they are hiding somewhere in the body is unclear.

Worth knowing about ticks:

- Ticks avoid direct sunlight. They prefer to stay in the shady bushes or in the grass. Contrary to popular belief, ticks do not fall off trees, but they crawl up to a meter and a half high in the bushes, allowing them to dock easily with their host.

- Ticks are blind. But they perceive every smallest change such as vibrations, heat differences, light changes or smells. Especially people with "acid" sweat, who are under stress or are mainly from acid-forming foods such. B. animal protein and sugar, are easily detectable prey for ticks.

Tick ​​Protection:

- Sturdy footwear and closed clothes provide some protection against ticks.

- The rubbing of legs and arms with essential oils such as geranium oil, clove oil or tea tree oil keep ticks at a distance, with a mix of these three oils works best. In addition, coconut oil performs well.

- People living in areas with a high proportion of infected ticks can take the homeopathic remedy Borrelia nosode D30 for a period of three days as a precautionary measure. The dosage is three times a day. (Nosodes are homeopathic remedies prepared from sick blood, pathogens or, in this case, from infected ticks).

What to keep in mind with a tick bite:

- Ticks do not bite - they sting. Therefore, it is advisable to simply pull them out; z. B. with a tick card, which is available in pharmacies. On the other hand, a tick tweezer is too coarse and squeezes the tick so that it breaks its intestinal contents - and if infected, including the borrelia - into the puncture site.

- It is equally disadvantageous to counteract the tick with oil, glue or nail polish.

- After removal of the tick, the bite site should be disinfected with tea tree oil or other essential oil.

literature source: Natural cure Borreliosis, Wolf-Dieter Storl, AT Verlag, 9th edition

About the author:

Claudia Meyer is a personal trainer, nutrition trainer and former competitive athlete. In her new book "Intuition - Your Coach for a Healthy and Happy Life" she explores the abilities of intuition and shows how each person can use them for herself. The book was published by Verlag tredition and is available everywhere in stores.