What to take if a tick has bitten a person. Signs and symptoms of a tick bite in humans - what to do? Why are blood-sucking mites dangerous?

In connection with the change in natural and climatic conditions and the decrease in the intensive fight against harmful insects, a favorable environment is created for the reproduction of the tick population. If earlier tick bites were rarely recorded, now cases have become more frequent at times.

Ticks live in tall grass, on the foliage of trees. If they could be seen before only in dense plantings and forests, today, even walking on short grass, you can become a victim dangerous insect. Children are included in a special risk zone. Ticks are not harmless insects, the consequences of a tick bite in humans can be unpredictable. In many cases, there are complications. In this regard, you need to know more about:

• how dangerous a tick bite is, in order to have an idea of ​​what to do after a bite, if necessary;
• what is the first aid for a tick bite to a child or an adult;
• what diseases of a complex nature, carried by ticks, can worsen the state of human health;
• what measures to take to prevent malignant viruses and bacteria from penetrating through the blood into the body.

Tick ​​bite threat to humans

The main danger after a bite is that ticks carry infectious diseases that affect the nervous system. Many of these can remind of themselves for years. negative influence on the body. Therefore, it is so important to protect yourself and your loved ones from seemingly minor troubles that can develop into a big health problem.

Knowing what diseases ticks carry, you can timely detect signs of their manifestation if due attention was not paid to the tick bite. The list of such ailments is constantly updated, the most common:

• Q fever - the disease is recognized by signs such as high temperature up to 40 ° C, weakness, headache, joint pain, profuse sweating, sleep disturbance;
• typhus - makes itself felt with fever, damage to the central nervous system and blood vessels, intoxication of the body;
• tularemia - manifested by fever, damage to the lymph nodes and intoxication of the body;
• Lyme disease (borreliosis) - affects healthy areas of the skin, the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system, is also manifested by high fever, headache, chills, weakness, intoxication;
• tick-borne encephalitis - manifested by intoxication, fever, damage to the brain and spinal cord, negatively affects the central nervous system, can be fatal;
• ehrlichiosis - characterized by high body temperature, chills, headache, intoxication, skin rash.

These diseases have very similar symptoms of the course, in many cases the type of infection can only be determined after laboratory tests of the person who was bitten by the tick.

Infectious diseases transmitted by ticks do not heal on their own, but require immediate hospitalization. Therefore, if a tick has bitten, you should seek help from a medical institution, where they will help you remove the tick, treat the wound, and also tell you where to take the tick for analysis in order to determine how possible source transmission of infection.

Only a tick analysis helps to make a reliable diagnosis, identify a developing infection and direct treatment in the right direction.

It is advisable to take laboratory tests after a tick bite even when a person does not feel much discomfort. The infection affects the body gradually, waving a hand at tests, you can create fertile ground for the deterioration of your health.

Treatment after a tick bite takes a long period of time. Therefore, doctors recommend sounding the alarm immediately after its discovery.

Where does the tick bite

Ticks can bite open areas bodies, but cases when these insects can get under clothes are not excluded. Most often, favorite areas for tick bites are the neck, the area behind the ears, the scalp, armpits, lower back, abdomen, even the groin area, genital bites are not excluded.

The tick bites imperceptibly, people do not experience any pain and discomfort, since the insect injects an anesthetic into the blood. Ticks dig into the skin, penetrating first into the upper layers of the epidermis, gradually deepening.

Symptoms and signs of a tick bite

Symptoms after a tick bite in humans begin to appear after a few hours. People complain of such physical ailments as:

• drowsiness;
• dizziness;
• muscle weakness;
• lack of appetite;
• profuse vomiting;
• hallucinations;
• change in coordination of movements;
• temperature increase;
• skin itching.

If at least one of these symptoms appears after a walk in a park or forest, you should immediately examine the entire body for the presence of ticks. This should be done slowly, carefully examining each area. Often a tick bite is found quickly.

At the same time, you need to understand that the danger is not only an insect that has already attached itself to the skin, but also a tick brought on clothes, which is looking for a place for a hook.

The symptoms manifested after a tick bite in a person in the absence of medical care can worsen every day.

What does a tick bite look like on the body? The main signs of a tick bite are:

• dotted red spot;
• skin irritation;
• the presence of an insect that has stuck into the skin of the body;
• sometimes a bump forms after a tick bite.

Tick ​​bite mark

If the circle around the tick is pink, then this most often indicates an allergic reaction of the body to the saliva of the insect, but if the bite becomes bright red, and red circles spread throughout the body in the form of eczema, then this indicates an infectious dangerous bite.

If a tick has bitten, you need to measure the spot with a ruler and observe its change until the visit to the doctor, if first aid cannot be provided at home.

How to help with a tick bite at home

The first question that arises when a tick bite is detected is what to do at home?

First aid for a tick bite is to extract it. It is very difficult to do this in cases where the insect has managed to go deep into the skin. The site of the tick bite must first be disinfected.

How to treat a tick bite? It is recommended to process with iodine, brilliant green or alcohol, in the absence of such improvised means, ordinary vodka is suitable. After disinfection, a thin thread is taken, a dense lasso is made from it around the proboscis of the tick, the ends of which subsequently need to be pulled and the insect slowly swinging. This manipulation allows you to remove the tick and not damage its body.

If the head of the insect remains in the skin, this means that the infection continues to spread throughout the body. Instead of a thread, you can use tweezers or a special medical pin.

In no case should you make sudden movements when removing the insect, the tick bite is very itchy, so the bitten must be patient and not move until the tick is removed.

Itching the bite after removing the insect can be a week or more, so it is recommended to take antiallergic drugs. If the tick bite itches badly even after taking antihistamine medications, you should consult a doctor.

The wound formed after the bite of a sterile tick heals quickly after it is removed, it is treated with iodine or brilliant green until completely healed. The bite of an infected tick tends to fester and in this case it is impossible to do without the help of a physician.

Medical treatment for a tick bite

• The bite of a sterile tick does not pose a threat to health. Treatment in such cases is not prescribed, only the procedure for extracting the insect is performed.
• If the tick is a carrier of diseases, then in each case, individual therapy is carried out with the help of appropriate medications prescribed by the attending physicians.
• Often, patients are prescribed specific immunotherapy, when immunoglobulin is injected into the body with a tick bite, if there is a suspicion of the spread of a viral infectious focus or its laboratory confirmation.
• Antibiotics for a tick bite are prescribed when bacterial infectious diseases transmitted through the blood are detected.
• Diseases caused by protozoan microorganisms are treated with drugs that suppress their reproduction.

Diseases such as borreliosis and encephalitis are the most common in the CIS. Their treatment is long-term. Therapy is for recovery correct operation brain, CNS and circulatory system.

Borreliosis (Lyme disease) and encephalitis require unconditional hospitalization and treatment in a hospital. People who have been bitten by an infected tick are sent to infectious dispensaries for laboratory tests.

Borreliosis is a disease that provokes bacteria, so antibiotic therapy is effective in its treatment. Whereas encephalitis is a viral disease and cannot be treated with antibiotics.

The bites of infected ticks can greatly undermine human health, up to getting a disability group or death. Diseases transmitted through the blood by ticks to humans disrupt the functioning of the liver, kidneys, joints, lungs, and digestive system, therefore, during treatment, doctors use complex therapy aimed at restoring the working capacity of the whole organism.

Animal bites from ticks

Ticks are blood-sucking insects, they bite not only people, but also domestic animals and cattle. What should be done if an animal is bitten by a tick? Of course, provide first aid - treat the bite with disinfectants and try to remove the tick. To do this, you need an assistant who will hold the animal, distract him from the procedure. A specialized veterinarian can help get rid of ticks in animals.

If a puppy is bitten by a tick or a cat is bitten by a tick, the condition of the animals changes rapidly. They become lethargic, lose their appetite, and are inactive. Several ticks can be caught on the animal's fur at the same time, their simultaneous bites can even lead to the death of pets.

If animals are bitten by infected ticks, they also become a source of the spread of dangerous diseases.

Prevention of tick bites

• To protect yourself from danger possible bites tick, many people use vaccination against infectious diseases such as borreliosis, encephalitis, the body's protection lasts for three years, after which revaccination is performed.
• When visiting wooded and bushy areas, preference should be given to clothing with tight elastic bands on the sleeves, tight-fitting collars, hoods that protect the neck, overalls with a sliding surface, rubber shoes to the knee. Pants must be tucked into shoes. It is recommended not to visit the forest and forest plantations without a hat.
• Do not get carried away walking on high meadow grass.
• Repel ticks special means repellents that are sprayed on clothing and exposed areas of the body. It can also be lotions, creams, gels or pencils.
• Since ticks can settle on personal plot, it is recommended to mow the grass more often, cut the branches of trees, carefully clean the territory in the off-season, pickle harmful garden insects with the help of special toxic preparations.

Preventive measures significantly reduce the risk of being bitten by ticks. But, if the tick has bitten, despite all the precautions, then there is no alternative to contacting the nearest first-aid post. You should not be negligent about tick bites and, if they are found, remember that professional help doctors are the best solution in the current situation, which will help maintain the health of both adults and children for many years.

Tip 1

The ideal option is to go to a medical institution where the "operation" to remove this tiny bug will be carried out expertly. But in most cases, the clinic is far away, because ticks are found mainly in the forests, outside the city (although you can bring it just from the street).

Tip 2

Tip 3

If you have thin tweezers (preferably curved) on hand, you can use them. Try to tightly grab the part of the tick’s body sticking out from under the skin with tweezers and “unscrew” it counterclockwise (since it “screws” clockwise under the skin). If you do everything right, already on the second or third rotation, the tick will completely come out from under the skin.

Tip 4

Some recommend dripping on a sucked tick sunflower oil. This advice is meaningless: under the influence of oil, the air supply to the tick will be blocked, and it may die, while remaining under the skin. Along with the virus.

And finally - the most important thing.

Ticks and protection against them.

You returned from a forest walk - and here it is, a tick, hanging on your hand. Let's figure out what to do.

You have returned from a forest walk - and here it is, a tick, hanging on your hand. Let's figure out what to do.

If your area is safe for encephalitis, don't take a tick bite lightly. Ticks are three times more likely to transmit another infection - borreliosis, or Lyme disease, which affects the nervous system, skin, heart and joints. There is no need to panic - timely measures taken will help both prevent and cure both ailments.

STEP 1. REMOVE THE BEAT

The simplest thing is to dial 03 and find out where to drive up so that the tick is removed. Usually this is a district SES or emergency room. If you decide to act on your own, prepare a jar or vial with a tight lid and cotton wool moistened with water.

First aid for a tick bite can be provided independently. To remove ticks in pharmacies, devices are sold in the form of tweezers or small horns. If nothing like this is at hand, tie a strong thread (as close to the skin as possible) and slowly pull the tick perpendicular to the surface of the skin, gently and smoothly, slightly turning or staggering. Do not pull out - you will tear the tick! If this does happen, remove the head of the tick like a splinter with tweezers or a clean needle. Wipe the wound with iodine or alcohol, and put the extracted tick in a pre-prepared jar and refrigerate.

To drip oil and kerosene on a tick, to cauterize a tick is pointless and dangerous. The respiratory organs of the tick will become blocked and the tick will regurgitate the contents, which will increase the risk of infection.

STEP 2. CHECKING HIS HEALTH

Within two days, the tick must be taken to the laboratory for examination for infection with borreliosis and encephalitis. Some centers agree to take only the whole tick for analysis. The answer is issued in a few hours, a maximum of two days.

STEP 3. TAKE FAST ACTION

If your tick is from an encephalitis-free area, the injection is usually not done: firstly, because of the risk of allergies, secondly, the vaccination itself is still not useful, thirdly, it does not guarantee one hundred percent protection against encephalitis and its complications - a lot depends on the activity of the virus and your immunity.

Additionally, for the prevention of encephalitis, popular immunostimulants are recommended: interferon-based drugs (for example, viferon) and interferon inducers (for example, arbidol, amixin, anaferon, rimantadine). It is better to start taking them on the very first day after a tick bite.
There is no vaccine against borreliosis. Moreover, experts have not yet come to a consensus about at what point after a tick bite to drink antibiotics and which drugs are more effective. The difficulty is that ticks are capable of transmitting both encephalitis and borreliosis at once, and some antibiotics can aggravate the latent course of encephalitis. Therefore, doctors prefer not to start treatment for borreliosis until they receive the result of a tick test for encephalitis. So if you feel bad after a tick bite, do not rush to take medication, consult and take a blood test for infections.

FROM THE LIFE OF THE BLOODSUCKERS Ticks sit on grass and low bushes 25-50 cm from the ground and wait for you to touch them. . Ticks almost always crawl up - that is why it is advised to tuck trousers into socks, and a shirt into trousers. A zipper is better than a button, and a sweatshirt with a hood is better than a cap. . The best way protection against ticks - anti-tick repellents. If they are not at hand, treat the most vulnerable places with a regular antiperspirant - the chest area, armpits, under the knees, arms and back, and for children - behind the ears and on the back of the head. Ticks are attracted to the smell of sweat. . You can also get infected from a crushed tick if there is a wound on the skin. . Emergency prophylaxis with immunoglobulin is less effective than pre-vaccination with tick-borne vaccines.

STEP 4. DISSOLVE LATER DOUBTS

The tick has been removed and tested, the region is free of encephalitis, but is your heart still restless? You can check yourself by taking a blood test from a vein for borreliosis and encephalitis. It does not make sense to immediately run to the laboratory; the body gives an accurate answer to these infections only after days, or even weeks.

If the result is positive, do not panic: firstly, even when infected, the disease does not always develop, and secondly, in most cases it ends in recovery.

If the results are borderline or doubtful, it is better to re-analyze after 1-2 weeks. If more than 2 months have passed since the tick bite, you don’t have to worry.

You can take a blood test in infectious diseases hospitals, virological laboratories, large commercial laboratories.

SCHEDULED ACTIONS

	Tick-borne encephalitis	Tick-borne borreliosis
Symptoms of a possible infection	In the first 7-25 days after a tick bite - chills, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, aches and numbness in the muscles, pain when the head is tilted to the chest, photophobia. Symptoms may stop after 3-4 days, but worsen after a few days	In the first 1-1.5 months, symptoms should alert you, which can appear both simultaneously and separately: * redness of the skin, and not immediately after the bite, but after a while; * fever, chills, joint pain
Risk of getting sick	The virus is contained in the saliva that the tick injects within the first minute after being bitten. Therefore, you risk even if you removed the tick quickly.	Borrelia live in the intestines of the tick. If the tick has been on the body for less than 24 hours, the risk is small
When to take a blood test	5-10 days after a tick bite	Not earlier than 2-3 weeks after the tick bite
Immunity against disease	Acquired for life	Not purchased
How long to wait for test results	4 days	1 day

In nature, a person expects not only beauty and peace, but also a lot of insects, the bites of which can lead to disastrous consequences. Doctors say that knowledge of the basic safety rules and the symptoms of many diseases will help to avoid problems or prevent complications in time. Find out what a tick bite looks like in the photo, what consequences such a “close acquaintance” can have, and what parts of the body should be examined after a trip to nature.

What does a tick bite look like

The activity of ticks falls in the period of late spring and early autumn, when the soil has already warmed up well. These insects have a well-developed sense of smell, so they feel their warm-blooded prey 10-30 meters away. The habitat of ticks is tall grass or low shrub. They dig into places with delicate skin: lower back, armpits, auricles, inguinal zone, stomach. In the zone of the sucked insect, the appearance of redness, rash, and inflammation is characteristic.

Incubation period

The weaker the blood-brain barrier, the sooner the first symptoms appear after a bite. As a rule, it takes from a week to 24 days. In rare cases, the first symptoms may begin two months after infection. For these reasons, immunologists strongly recommend that you carefully monitor your health, at least 2-2.5 months. Pay attention to sharply increased headaches, unstable body temperature, chills.

Why are blood-sucking mites dangerous?

Ticks can carry diseases such as viral encephalitis, a disease that affects the human nervous system. However, not every insect is a carrier of the virus: out of the total number of ticks, this disease is found in only 10-15% of individuals. In addition, depending on the habitat of the insect, they can spread infections such as tick-borne borreliosis, rocky mountain spotted fever, typhus, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, and so on.

Viral infections

The territory of Russia is characterized by the presence of a pathogen in the saliva of which viruses are present. A tick bite can provoke the development of:

The bite of a tick, a carrier of rickettsia, differs in severity - from sluggish forms to dangerous diseases that threaten a person's life. Immunologists focus on:

• Marseille fever is an acute zoonotic rickettsiosis characterized by a benign course.
• Spotted Astrakhan fever - rickettsiosis with a sluggish course. Clinically, the disease is manifested by an increase in the spleen, liver, structural changes in the lungs.
• Tick-borne typhus is a disease that affects the lymphatic system of the body and is manifested by skin rashes. Infections are carried by insects living in the regions of Siberia, Krasnoyarsk region, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk Territory.
• Q fever is an infectious natural focal disease. The main symptoms are: back pain, migraine, fatigue, dry cough, loss of appetite, insomnia.
• Smallpox rickettsiosis is a benign infection. It is characterized by the appearance of moderately severe fever, papular eczema.

protozoal infection

Among invasive human diseases, special attention is paid to babesiosis. In Russia, the area of ​​possible infection is the forest-steppe part of Siberia, the northwest and south of the European part of the country. In humans, the infection develops against the background of a decrease in immunity. Insect attacks are particularly susceptible to:

• aged people;
• patients undergoing surgery;
• AIDS patients.

• General malaise, weakness, loss of appetite - appear if ticks that spread viruses stick to a person.
• If, after removal of the insect, redness of the skin, itching, small rashes appear, we are talking about microbial and rickettsial infections.
• Increase in body temperature. In Lyme disease, hyperthermia begins from 10 to 18 days after the bite. With ehrlichiosis, fever is characteristic for 8-14 days, and with anaplasmosis - after 2 weeks.

Signs of an encephalitic tick bite in humans

After detecting and extracting ticks, they must be handed over to the laboratory, where specialists will establish whether the insect was a TBE carrier. Symptoms of viral encephalitis appear suddenly: a person's body temperature rises sharply, headache and chills appear. Sometimes patients complain of muscle pain and paralysis of the limbs. characteristic feature infection serves and appearance a victim who has red spots at the bite sites.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

The symptoms of borreliosis look much clearer. This type of infection is characterized by the appearance of macular erythema. At the same time, redness can change in size over time, sometimes reaching 60 centimeters in diameter. The spot in shape resembles an irregular oval, in the center of which there is a small white or blue blotch. Gradually, at the site of the bite, the skin is rougher, a crust appears, and after a scar. With proper treatment, the scar disappears on its own in a few weeks.

Consequences

If the presence of an insect is not noticed in time, the consequences for the body can be unpredictable. For example, for tick-borne encephalitis, there are three options for the course of infection, each of which has its own characteristics. A favorable outcome is characterized by:

• the appearance of chronic weakness, which will last for one to two months of treatment, followed by the restoration of all body functions;
• moderate - with a recovery period of up to 6 months;
• severe form - with the resumption of all functions for 2-3 years.

An unfavorable outcome can bring complications in the form of:

• Decreased motor activity, general weakness without progression of symptoms.
• Decrease in all body functions with periodic progression of symptoms and relapses. Patients are at risk of infection alcohol addiction, pregnant women and the elderly. Contribute to the progression of symptoms malnutrition, stress, overwork.

The prolonged presence of symptoms of infection is the reason for the determination of a disability group by a special commission:

• Disability of the 1st group is given in the presence of severe impairment of motor functions, epilepsy, acquired dementia, loss of self-care abilities, inability to move without outside help.
• The second group is issued in the presence of severe paresis in combination with epileptic seizures, with changes in the psyche, loss of labor activity.
• Disability category 3 is assigned if the patient has a neurological syndrome with impaired motor activity of the limbs, loss of some labor skills, rare epileptic seizures.

What to do with a tick bite

First aid

The sooner the tick is removed, the less likely it is that infectious agents will enter the open wound. If you are unsure that you can get to the nearest medical center in 1-2 hours, the first aid for a tick bite is to pull out the insect yourself. The affected area must be treated with alcohol or iodine. There are several ways to get a sucked tick:

The safest way is to remove the tick at the nearest hospital, where there is a trauma department. As a rule, in each region of the country there are round-the-clock first aid points. Then, depending on the situation, you will be referred to an infectious disease specialist, internist or surgeon. If you are in an area with a high percentage of tick-borne encephalitis infection, within three days after the bite, you will be given an injection of anti-tick immunoglobulin.

Insect examination for infections

If symptoms of an allergic reaction or suffocation appear, an ambulance should be called immediately. Your algorithm of actions before the arrival of doctors should be as follows:

• Open the windows, rip the neck of your T-shirt or loosen the top buttons of your shirt, loosen your pants belt or waistband.
• Apply a cool compress to the swollen area.
• Be sure to give the patient an antihistamine - Diazolin, Loratadin, Suprastin, Zodak, Erius.

Treatment

Anti-tick therapy is performed using drugs from different medical categories:

• With tick-borne encephalitis, immunoglobulin is prescribed in the first days. If meningitis is observed, ascorbic acid and B vitamins are prescribed. To eliminate respiratory failure, ventilation is carried out.
• With borreliosis, tetracycline drugs, bacteriostatics and intravenous injections of bactericidal antibiotics are prescribed. The lack of fluid is stopped by the introduction of blood substitutes.

Method of specific immunotherapy

During the treatment of borreliosis, it is important in the first 72 hours to carry out emergency prevention of infection through intravenous administration of immunomodulators. If a tick bite provoked the development of viral encephalitis, the following medications are prescribed:

• Prednisolone - applied 1 time per day. The medicine is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to the components and the presence of a skin fungus.
• Reopoliglyukin - intravenous injection. Helps eliminate multiple symptoms of encephalitis fever. Often leads to the development of allergies.

Antibiotic therapy for bacterial diseases

An effective remedy, which will help to cope with the infection and eliminate the symptoms of the acute stage, is the drug Bicillin - 5. It is used only in a hospital in the form of 5-10 daily intramuscular injections. To relieve puffiness, Lymphomyosot is additionally prescribed. Bicillin injections are supplemented with antibiotics of the whole-fasporine and tetracycline series. These are the drugs:

• Ceftriaxone;
• Timalin;
• Sumamed;
• Claforan;
• doxycycline;
• Realdiron.

Drugs to suppress the reproduction of protozoa

• Clindamycin and Quinine;
• Azithromycin plus Atovacon;
• Cotrimoxazole, Pentamidine, Diisocyanate.

Prevention

To avoid possible complications and prevent the development of dangerous diseases, it is worth adhering to simple rules prevention:

• When hiking in nature, choose the most closed clothing, put a cap on your head, choose sliding fabrics.
• On bare parts of the body, apply special repellents, which can be bought at any pharmacy.
• After returning home, carefully inspect the body for ticks, paying special attention to the ears, hair, groin, lower back.
• Go through the procedure for the prevention of tick-borne encephalitis - vaccination. Prevents tick bites for 365 days. It is necessary to repeat the vaccination every three years.

Video

What should I do if bitten by a tick? There is no need to panic in this case. If the tick was able to stick firmly, you need to remove it in a timely manner. This is done with extreme caution so as not to tear off the proboscis of the insect. If it remains at the site of the bite, then suppuration will occur. You need to call an ambulance, they will tell you, and they will send you to the nearest hospital. If there is no way to get to the hospital, then you need to know what to do at home.

Ticks carry such a dangerous infection like encephalitis. Therefore, before traveling to the forest, you need to prepare and learn what to do if you could not avoid a bite. It is important to remember that after detecting a sucking insect, you need to take action quickly. Conveniently surgical clamp or regular tweezers. An insect is captured near the proboscis, scrolled and slowly pulled out. The grip must be strong, but pressing down on the insect must be avoided so that the infection from it does not get into the wound.

If you pull out the tick without scrolling, there is a risk of tearing it. For pharmacies, special devices are sold. They are the easiest to remove, since the tick is captured as accurately as possible. If special devices or there are no tweezers, you can use a simple thread. It is tied at the very proboscis, and then the tick swings and stretches up.

During the time it should not be allowed to break, otherwise the head with the proboscis will remain under the skin. If there is an infection in the leftovers, it will continue to seep into the body. If the head still comes off, the place must be treated with alcohol, and then removed with a disinfected needle.

You can not treat the tick with an oil or alcohol solution - it can die, and remain under the skin. The wound at the site of removal is treated with an iodine or alcohol solution. To find out what to do after a tick bite at home, you need to consult a doctor for advice. The extracted insect is sent to a glass container, it can be stored in the refrigerator until it is delivered to the laboratory of the sanitation station. it is necessary within 2 days to determine whether it is infected with borreliosis or encephalitis.

Drug therapy

The tick is a carrier of dangerous infections - Lyme disease, borreliosis and encephalitis. After the tests are done in the laboratory, you need to consult a doctor with the results. If encephalitis is found, a special injection will be given in the hospital. If infection is not detected, vaccination is not required.

In the first days after the bite, it is recommended to take antiviral drugs based on interferon. does not exist, but it is undesirable to take antibiotics until the results of the study are available. If, along with borreliosis, infection with encephalitis occurs, the course of the disease may worsen. If no infections are found, but disturbing thoughts appear, you can donate blood for analysis. This can be done 1-2 weeks after the tick bite. If a tick has bitten a person, but did not have time to drink blood, then this does not mean at all that it is not dangerous.

Symptoms of infection

Ticks are most often sucked:

• on the lower back or abdomen;
• on the neck, armpits and chest;
• in the groin area;
• behind the ears.

develops at the site of the bite allergic reaction and inflammation, but not observed pain. Redness appears in the form of a circle. If an infection with borreliosis has occurred, the bite site looks characteristic. The spot increases to 20 cm in diameter, and has an oval or round shape, sometimes the borders may be irregular. Over time, a red border forms around the bite, and the center becomes bluish or white color. A crust and a scar appear at the site of the bite, which completely disappears after 2 weeks. In a child, healing may take a little longer.

For a long time, an attached tick may go unnoticed, since painful sensations do not appear. 2-3 hours after the bite, the first signs begin to appear:

• drowsiness and weakness;
• fear of light;
• aches in the joints;
• chills.

When the first signs appear, you need to quickly take the necessary measures:

• inspect the body for the presence of sucking insects;
• remove ticks if found.

How bright the signs will be depends on the number of bitten ticks and the size of the person. The symptoms are most pronounced in children, the elderly, or people with reduced immunity.

After a short time, symptoms begin to appear:

• fever and hyperthermia;
• itching and rashes;
• low blood pressure and increased heart rate;
• swollen lymph nodes.

Severe migraines, vomiting and nausea, hallucinations, and difficulty breathing may occur. If hyperthermia is observed after a bite, then an allergic reaction to the secretions of an insect occurs. But not all of these symptoms are always present. For 10 days after injury, you need to measure the temperature daily, it usually rises on days 2-10.

Fever indicates an infection developing in the body.

Signs of encephalitis

For each tick-borne disease, there are specific symptoms:

1. 1 Encephalitis is accompanied by an increase in temperature for 2-4 days. It stays for a few days and then goes down. On the 8-10th day there is an increase again.
2. 2 When infected with borreliosis, an increase in temperature is observed as a secondary symptom, initially severe migraines, pain in the joints and muscles, chills are disturbing.

When a tick bites, infected with infections show serious damage to many organs:

1. 1 Central nervous system- headaches, epilepsy, paralysis.
2. 2 Cardiovascular system - arrhythmia and pressure surges.
3. 3 Joints - arthritis.
4. 4 Kidneys - jade.
5. 5 Lungs - bleeding and inflammation.
6. 6 Liver - violation of food processing.

After infection encephalitis tick There may be several outcomes:

1. 1 Favorable - slight weakness lasting for 2 months. With a disease of moderate severity, recovery takes up to six months. In severe cases of the disease - recovery up to 2 years, without paralysis.
2. 2 Unfavorable - deterioration in health due to impaired motor functions of the body without progress in symptoms.

Progression in symptoms may occur due to the use of drugs, alcoholic beverages, constant nervous tension, pregnancy. If there is a constant progression, then epilepsy develops, which is the reason for the assignment of disability status.

Therapeutic measures

Everyone should know how to act if bitten by a tick, what to do when signs of infection with dangerous diseases appear. Immediately you need to come to the hospital for a referral for tests that will confirm or refute the diagnosis. Only after receiving the results, appropriate treatment is prescribed.

For encephalitis:

• bed rest throughout the period of high fever and a week after it;
• taking interferon in the first days;
• prednisolone, blood substitutes;
• with meningitis a large number of vitamins C and B;
• in case of pulmonary insufficiency - artificial ventilation of the lungs;
• during the recovery period - tranquilizers, steroids.

With borreliosis:

• hospitalization is required;
• at the stage of formation of redness at the site of the bite - tetracycline;
• neurological symptoms are stopped by antibiotics;
• the water balance in the body is restored by blood substitutes, saline solutions.

Preventive measures

Whether a tick can bite depends on many factors:

1. 1 Well-being of the region of residence in terms of infections transmitted by ticks.
2. 2 A profession that involves being in a field or forest.
3. 3 Will the disadvantaged places be visited: a forest, a river or lake bank, a field.

Bite prevention can help avoid infection:

1. 1 Vaccination is done before the bite.
2. 2 Taking immunoglobulin after a bite.
3. 3 Use of the most closed clothing when visiting a forest or field.
4. 4 The use of means for the destruction or repelling of insects.

Only your caution and timely measures will help to avoid serious health consequences.