Knowing what to do if bitten by a tick can be life-saving while walking in the woods, or hiking trip... Long-term statistics of Rospotrebnadzor show that annually in our country over 400 thousand people officially seek medical help due to tick attacks. On average, doctors record 2-4 thousand cases of infection with tick-borne encephalitis and over 10 thousand cases of infection with borreliosis per year. From 30 to 50 infected die and every fifth becomes disabled for life.
Where do ticks occur?
Any area of vegetation is a potential habitat for ticks. There are natural landscapes where the probability of finding ticks at a certain time of the year is 100%.
Areas of maximum risk
Most likely, ticks can be found in bushes and grass:
In the raspberry thickets.
In the dense undergrowth of a young aspen forest.
In damp and shaded areas of the undergrowth.
In tall grass on the edges of the forest (sedge, wormwood, burdock and others).
In places where ferns grow in pine forests.
High-risk areas where you can encounter an encephalitis tick bite:
- trails of wild animals;
- wet ravines;
- areas of wild forest and city parks protected from the sun.
Dynamics of seasonal activity
The period of active searches for a food source in ticks begins with the arrival of above-zero night temperatures in mid-April. In the first two weeks of warm spring weather, ticks reach dangerous numbers. The peak of activity is in May and June. Hot and dry weather in summer contributes to population decline. With the onset of cool nights and wet matinees in August-September, tick attacks become more frequent. They can suck on a person any day, before the onset of the first frost.
How to reduce the likelihood of dangerous infection
The tick seeks to catch on to everything that moves within the reach of its legs. If he succeeds in doing this, then he begins to look for a place on the body, where most of the blood vessels are concentrated under the skin.
Features of the spread of tick-borne infections
A human is not a desirable hunting object for a tick. Humans manage to locate and remove the tick before it drinks blood and falls off on its own in order to continue the breeding cycle. For him, the main source for the continuation of the genus is wild animals, including rodents - rats and mice. Wild animals are all infected with pathogenic microorganisms and viruses, which ticks transmit to humans during a bite.
The likelihood of infection by a bite
More than 60 dangerous pathogens are known that are transmitted to humans during tick sucking. Most common encephalitis, borreliosis, tick-borne typhus and viral fevers.
But even if the chelicerae of the animal have already penetrated the skin, there is still hope that the infection has not yet had time to enter the circulatory system.
Timely detection and removal of ticks
If an embedded tick is found in no case should you try to crush him, or scrape off with a fingernail. In this case, the risk of infection increases.
Safety rules after visiting the forest
Exists simple rules prevention of tick-borne infections. This is a mandatory examination of the body after visiting places where ticks can live. It is necessary to inspect:
Arms, forearms and elbows on all sides.
Chest, abdomen and groin.
Legs, inner thighs and knees.
Using a mirror, you need to inspect:
Hair of the head and face.
Back and buttocks.
The deeper the tick is sucked in, the more difficult it is to get rid of it.
Rules of conduct for a bite
How deep can the mite penetrate the skin?
The mite slowly moves its cutterbar under the skin. Within 10-12 hours, he will have time to completely immerse himself in the body. A small tubercle with a breathing hole will remain on the surface, from which only the hind limbs will periodically emerge. If you notice the presence in time, the tick will live inside the tubercle for 2 weeks, and it will swell up to 1.5 cm. The bite site will begin to itch, and inflammation will occur. It will be impossible to ignore the consequences of the bite.
How to remove a tick with improvised means
At home, ticks are removed with a thread. For this you need:
throw a loop around the base of the tick head;
tighten the loop so that it tightens the tick against the skin surface;
gently twist the animal counterclockwise and slightly pull the thread towards you;
The thread is convenient to use if the tick has bitten, but has not sucked in to the end. In order for the thread to capture the bloodsucker at the very base of the head, you need to tighten it gradually, with short and light movements of the hands.
Forked hook
One of the reasons for contracting tick-borne diseases is mistakes when removing a tick after it has sucked to the skin. A person can himself contribute to the entry of infection into the blood during an attempt to get rid of the tick in the wrong and ineffective ways.
Consequences of improper tick extraction
A careless attempt to get rid of the tick can lead to separation of the head from the body, which remains under the skin after removal. It will have to be removed like a splinter with a needle or scalpel. The tick must be delivered to the laboratory for analysis in a live form to identify a specific type of disease, of which it is a carrier.
Doubtful and ineffective ways to extract a tick
Ways to lubricate the abdomen with oil, wax and kerosene
The folk method of getting rid of ticks advises to make breathing more difficult for an animal that has stuck to the body. For this, oil, kerosene, wax, cream, cologne and other improvised means are used. The organs through which the arthropod breathes are located in the back of the body. By blocking the access of oxygen, you can make the bloodsucker crawl out from under the skin without additional application mechanical efforts... For this, his abdomen is lubricated. The dubiousness of the method is that the tick does not always come out, and when breathing is difficult, it begins to actively produce infectious saliva and let it into the wound.
Removing the tick with a medical syringe
This method is effective only at the very initial stage, when the tick has just bitten, but has not yet sucked deeply. The tip of the syringe is cut off, after which it is pressed tightly against the skin with the cut part and the plunger is sharply raised. A negative pressure is created, which sucks the tick into the syringe. The method is extremely dangerous. In the area of the bite, a strong blood flow is created, microvessels burst. There is a threat of infection. If the tick sits deeply, then this method is categorically contraindicated.
Forest clothing against ticks
Anatomical features of ticks
Ticks have 12 limbs. For movement there are 4 rear pairs. The processes in front are also limbs, there are two pairs of them. But they are auxiliary instruments of the oral apparatus. The fused front pair of limbs is chelicerae, an anchor with which the tick penetrates under the skin. Reverse protrusions and teeth on chelicerae allow reliable fixation in top layer epidermis. Therefore, when pulling out the tick from the bite site, these limbs come off along with the head and remain under the skin.
Waiting for the victim
The tick climbs to the tops of blades of grass, or branches of undersized bush. His tactic is waiting. Having spread the first pair of legs wide, the tick is ready to grab onto the fur of a warm-blooded animal running past. The extreme segments of the tick's walking limbs are equipped with two sharp claws, allowing it to cling to any irregularity. Methods that allow them to quickly cling to the victim limit the ability of bloodsuckers to move downward in a vertical direction. Therefore, they always creep up. This should be considered when choosing forest clothing.
Overalls are the main protective barrier against ticks
A forest uniform (encephalitis), capable of reliably protecting against a tick bite, is sewn from dense synthetic fabric. The claws of the animal cannot catch on the irregularities of the material and the gaps between the individual threads. The cuffs of the sleeves and trousers are pulled together with dense elastic bands that prevent the penetration of ticks. Workwear for the forest should have a minimum number of pockets, and they should be overhead, with wide outer flaps equipped with tight fasteners. The presence of a hood and a blank mosquito net on it is a must.
How to wear regular clothes in the forest
Compliance with the rules of wearing ordinary clothes in the forest is a reliable prevention against tick bites.
The trousers are tucked into the socks. You can use ropes, laces and additional elastic bands to enhance the tightness of the elastic bands of the socks.
Sleeve cuffs should be tightly buttoned or pulled together from the outside with elastic bands.
Jackets and shirts are buttoned up and worn with the collar turned up.
Outerwear is tucked into the pants, under the belt.
If there is no hood, then a scarf or bandana can be used as a headdress.
Chemical means of protection
Chemical anti-mite agents form an additional protective barrier. They are of secondary importance, and are ineffective without a reliable forest suit.
Tick repellents (repellents)
Typically, tick control products include diethyltoluamide... Preparations based on this substance are relatively harmless to humans and have a universal effect. The smell drives away all blood-sucking insects and arthropods. The product is applied to both clothing and skin. The effect lasts for several hours. Modern means prevention of ticks include additional components of natural origin, which increases their effectiveness.
Popular repellents
Repellents have varying degrees of toxicity and negative impact... For adults, the following funds are allowed for use:
"Reftamide maximum".
"DEFI-Taiga".
"Off! Extreme ".
"DETA-VOKKO".
"Gardex Extreme".
Gall-RET.
Medelis.
Children's preparations, which can also be used by pregnant women, contain less toxic substances, so their effectiveness is lower:
"Maskitol-anti-mite".
Ftalar.
Evital.
"Children's Medelix".
"OFF-children's".
"DEFFI-taiga".
Chemical weapons (acaricides)
As a chemical weapon capable of completely eliminating the bite of an encephalitis tick, and even killing it, acaricidal preparations are used. They are intended for processing forest clothing and are not applied to the skin. The active substances in their composition, like alphacypermethrin , deprive arachnids of limb mobility. The ticks react instantly, and their weakened bodies roll off their clothes. For humans, the active substances are toxic, therefore there are restrictions on the use of the product on the clothes of pregnant women and children.
Effective acaricides
Examples of highly toxic acaricides include:
"Pretix".
"Anti-mite tornado".
"Gardeks-extreme". Available as a spray.
"Maskitol-Spray".
"Aerosol mite-kaput".
Anti-mite picnic.
"Tsifox".
"Refamid taiga".
Universal chemical protection
A number of modern drugs have universal properties - they scare away all insects and arachnids, and also have a toxic effect on them. Convenient packaging in the form of aerosol cans allows you to periodically and quickly apply the substance to clothing during a long stay in nature. Tents and areas of grass cover are being processed, where it is planned to set up a tourist camp for the night.
Insecticidal and repellent agents
The following trade marks are referred to as anti-mite drugs with a double effect on ticks:
"Iedilis-comfort".
"Tick-kaput".
"Mosquito spray".
"Kra-rap".
"Extreme Gardeks".
Medilis-comfort.
Anti-mite preparations for the treatment of large areas.
To process the territory where people are supposed to stay, the following means are used:
"Samarovka-insecticide".
Medilis-Ziper.
Acaritox.
Byteks 40% JV.
Akarifen.
"Akarocid".
Cypertrin.
Traditional methods
Advantage folk recipes chemical fight with ticks:
Lack of highly toxic substances.
Possibility of making from improvised means.
The efficacy of homemade anti-mite preparations is significantly lower than that of factory-made pharmaceuticals. Compositions for spraying clothes and body, prepared on the basis of essential oils, have a real effect on ticks:
Eucalyptus oil.
Lavender oil.
Clove oil.
Geranium extract.
Jasmine extract.
Folk recipes against ticks
At home, using essential oils, you can make anti-mite compounds both for application to the skin and for processing clothes.
Recipe for dressing composition: Essential oils are mixed with vinegar and water. For 30 ml. oils require 2 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of water. The components are mixed and the resulting product is sprayed onto clothing.
Recipe for a mixture for application to the skin: take 30 ml. essential oils and mix with 2 spoons sunflower oil and 1 spoon of aloe vera gel.
You can use any of the above plant extracts on hand to prepare an essential oil-based anti-mite mixture. To repel ticks, clove oil has a good effect and essential oil geraniums.
The consequences of infection with tick-borne diseases
Diseases transmitted through a tick bite have serious differences in symptoms and the nature of the consequences. If you experience symptoms characteristic of an infection transmitted through a tick bite, you should immediately contact an infectious disease doctor. Delay will lead to severe forms of the disease, or death.
Tick-borne encephalitis
This viral disease is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, especially its cervical region. The infection spreads in the body through macrophages in the blood. The disease engulfs the cells of the brain tissue and causes inflammation. Symptoms:
The incubation period lasts 1-2 weeks.
Sudden onset of fever, nausea, and headache. The attack lasts 4-7 days.
Temporary improvement in well-being, lasts up to 8 days
The attack of the disease is repeated. In severe cases, paralysis occurs.
The carrier of the virus is a tick from the ixodid order.
The disease has a bacterial nature and diverse symptoms:
The first symptoms are ring-shaped inflammation of the skin around the bite site.
Within 6 months after infection, damage to the brain, liver, blood vessels and joints occurs. The disease is accompanied by headache, inflammation of the lymph nodes, urinary disorders and fever.
After six months, the disease, if untreated, turns into a chronic form, accompanied by irreversible destruction of the joints and soft tissues of internal organs.
Any tick-borne disease is deadly, requires long-term treatment and significant expenditures on expensive drugs and rehabilitation.
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With the arrival of spring and summer, the problem of the appearance of ticks becomes urgent, the bite of which can cause many diseases. What to do with a tick bite? What precautions should you take to avoid aggravating the situation? What kind of treatment does the victim need? The answers to these questions are of interest to every person, including parents of small children. The tick belongs to the type of arthropods and the class of arachnids. This insect is dangerous if, during a bite, an infection, virus or harmful microorganisms are transmitted into the human bloodstream.
What is the danger of a tick
Ticks are carriers of large numbers infectious diseases, among which:
- viral infections: tick-borne encephalitis, tick-borne hemorrhagic fevers;
- microbial infections: ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, borreliosis;
- microbial (rickettsial) infections: smallpox rickettsiosis, tick-borne typhus, Marseilles fever;
- protozoal infection called "human babesiosis".
If an infection enters the circulatory system, damage to the nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as internal organs - the lungs, liver and kidneys - can occur. The most dangerous are tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis..
To avoid possible serious consequences, you need to know how to act if bitten by a tick, purposefully and competently to treat the bite.
How a tick bites
Most often, the tick chooses those areas on the human body where it is most convenient to climb and where there are many small blood vessels close to the upper layer of the skin. Most often, the bite is located in the groin area, in the armpits, on the neck, chest, arms and back. In children, a tick can be found on the head or behind the ears due to their shorter stature.
The insect does not penetrate completely under the skin, in order to suck, it only needs to "implant" the head. The main part of the tick's body remains on the surface. It is securely attached thanks to specially formulated saliva. As a result, the tick can be on the body from several hours to several days.
After the animal is full, its main part, located on the surface, swells and turns blue, the head is practically invisible. If bitten by a tick, it is very important to get it whole. The abdomen contains the bulk of dangerous viruses and bacteria, so its contents should not get into the human blood. If a person is bitten by infected ticks, infection can be avoided if the insect is removed correctly.
Main signs and symptoms
In the first hours after the bite, the symptoms are characterized by the appearance of weakness, drowsiness, chills and aches in the joints. The more mites there are on the body, the more intensely the above signs will be expressed. People with allergies will have more pronounced symptoms.
Among the first symptoms are noted: 
- increased body temperature (37-38 degrees);
- lowering pressure;
- tachycardia - an increase in the number of heart beats, per minute - more than 60;
- the appearance of a rash and itching;
- swollen lymph nodes in the area of the bite.
In addition, severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, hallucinations, etc. may appear.
Fever is of particular importance, since a fever that appears within 2-10 days after a tick bite can signal an infection.
Basic actions
If an adult or child has been bitten by a tick, what should be done in such a situation. The main thing is not to panic! First of all, it is necessary to get the insect out of the body, since the duration of its stay in human skin increases the likelihood of contracting any disease. But do not rush so as not to extract only part or crush the tick. In this case, the contents of the abdomen will enter the human bloodstream.
If possible, the victim should be taken to the nearest medical facility to receive qualified assistance.
How can you pull out a tick
Many people know what to do after being bitten, but have no idea how to get the tick. The choice of method depends on the tools at hand, as well as the experience of the person who took on the task. There are several ways to remove a tick: 
What to do if, when pulling out a tick, its head remains in the skin
There are two options for the development of events:
- The insect head remaining in the skin is pulled out using a pre-disinfected needle, like a common splinter.
- This part of the tick could not be removed. In this case, after a few days, she naturally will be forced out by skin tissues.
How not to pull out a tick
In no case should you use such pseudo-useful manipulations as treating the bite site with nail polish, acetone or gasoline, or any oil to remove the tick. Some people hope that this will deprive the tick of the ability to breathe, and it will crawl out or die. It is categorically not recommended to do this, because the tick, sensing danger, can inject liquid from its abdomen into the human body, while transmitting viruses and bacteria that it can carry.
Following actions
Most people calm down after the tick has been removed from the affected person's skin. But this is only half of the work done. What are the next steps?
What to do if bitten by an encephalitis tick will depend on whether the person was previously vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis... If vaccination was carried out, then no further action should be taken. In the absence of antibodies in the human body, it is urgently necessary to carry out emergency prophylaxis, which implies immunotherapy or the introduction of antiviral agents into the body. The result will be positive only if the immunoglobulin was injected in the first three days after the bite. If more time has passed, such actions will not make sense.
Post-bite treatment
The disease is characterized by neurological disorders. If the presence of such violations is noted, the patient must be hospitalized.
The medical institution carries out complex therapy:
- Prescribing Tetracycline and drugs of this group in case of redness (erythema), as well as treatment with Lincomycin, Levomycetin or macrolides in the later stages of the development of the disease.
- Administration of bactericidal antibiotics using intravenous injections to relieve neurological syndrome.
- Restoration of water balance, using saline solutions, blood substitutes, vitamin complexes, certain hormones and drugs that help to normalize cerebral circulation.
What to do if you get infected with tick-borne encephalitis
If a tick bite has caused tick-borne encephalitis, treatment will be as follows:
- a person bitten by a tick is shown bed rest in a hospital setting, especially during the period of fever and within a week after its end;
- in the first three days, human immunoglobulin is prescribed;
- therapy is carried out with the help of blood substitutes, Prednisol, Ribonuclease;
- in cases of breathing problems, ventilation of the lungs is done;
- with the development of meningitis, ascorbic acid and vitamin C are prescribed (in an increased amount);
- during the recovery process, the use of tranquilizers, nootropic drugs, anabolic steroids is shown;
- if microorganisms cause complications in the work of the kidneys, intestines and other organs, antibiotic therapy is prescribed.
Precautionary measures
To avoid tick bites and not be exposed to the development of a possible disease, which will have to be treated for a long time, it is worth following the recommendations to help avoid a bite. Basic Precautions:
- Ticks prefer shady and humid places, so do not get into the zone of their greatest concentration.
- The most vigilant and attentive should be during the period of the greatest activity of ticks: early April - mid September.
- To prevent insects from getting on the body, wear clothes that are as closed as possible. Jackets and sweaters should have tight cuffs. Pants - tuck into socks. Wear a cap, hat or hood on your head. It is desirable that the fabric is light shades, it is much easier to spot a tick on it and prevent it from getting on the skin. It is worth choosing sliding materials so that it is difficult for the insect to stay on the surface.
- Special creams or ointments should be applied to bare areas.
- The territory is most often treated with Tsifox.
- Every hour it is necessary to carefully inspect the clothes and every 2 hours to examine the body, giving Special attention the most vulnerable places.
- You can purchase special clothing, footwear and mosquito net soaked in a specific tick repellent.
- After returning home, carefully examine the child's body, all clothes and things that they put on and take with them. It is worth paying attention to the pet if it was also on a walk, since mites can also be on the pet's skin.
Means for protection against ticks are divided into 4 groups:
In a warm season, it is pleasant to relax in the fresh air, in the park, outside the city, in the forest with the whole family. Sometimes the joy of communicating with nature is overshadowed by an unpleasant discovery: the child was bitten by a tick. What to do? Few know.
Ticks often live in certain regions, but no one is immune from meeting a blood-sucking insect. It is important to remember that a bitten child can develop hemorrhagic fever, viral encephalitis, or Lyme disease. Allergic reactions often develop. The material will be useful to people of all ages.
Tick bite effects: worry or not
A tick on a child's body always causes panic fear from parents. Thoughts immediately come to mind about the dangerous consequences that often develop after an unpleasant incident in nature. But you should not panic: it is important to figure out how dangerous the bite is, whether the blood-sucking insect is infected. What to do?
Pay attention to the symptoms of a tick bite:
- the infection did not penetrate the body, the mite turned out to be quite "harmless". There is a slight chill, slight malaise, in allergic children, the area of contact with the insect turns slightly red. Symptoms pass quickly enough. There are no serious consequences for the body, but a specialist examination, the appointment of formulations that strengthen the immune system are mandatory;
- the child was bitten by a tick - a carrier of a dangerous disease. The transmission of the virus from an insect to a person is accompanied by pronounced signs. Symptoms may vary, but common manifestations these are: a noticeable change in shape, color at the site of the bite, soreness in the back, a sharp increase in body temperature. Headache, malaise, weakness, and loss of appetite often appear.
After removing the tick, be sure to take the child to the hospital. to check the condition of a small patient. Even if you feel well, the pediatrician will prescribe tests to detect / refute infection. Do not rely on strong immunity: Lyme disease, viral encephalitis are dangerous diseases that provoke problems with the central nervous system. In the absence of timely assistance, the consequences can be tragic.
Possible complications
The victim does not always immediately detect the problem: during the bite, the blood-sucking insect injects a strong anesthetic, the person does not feel pain and the presence of a dangerous "guest". It is important to show the child to the doctor on time in order to prevent serious consequences if the tick was a carrier of infection. Parents should know the symptoms of dangerous diseases carried by blood-sucking insects.
Viral encephalitis
Features of the disease, if bitten by an encephalitis tick:
- the most serious disease that a person encounters with a tick bite;
- without proper therapy, paralysis occurs, the brain becomes inflamed, and loss of consciousness is observed. Cases of death have been reported;
- when infected with tick-borne encephalitis on the second - fifth day, confusion appears, severe nausea, vomiting, and the temperature rises. Weakness develops, headache torments;
- if at least one of the symptoms appears, an immediate visit to the doctor is required, if you have not taken the baby to the hospital before.
Lyme disease
Peculiarities:
- when bitten by a borreliosis tick, a ring-shaped migrating enanthema appears at the site of the lesion - the first sign of infection;
- redness of the bitten area is oval or round shape... Gradually, the color of the formation changes, circles appear, diverging from the center;
- the child develops weakness, fever develops, the affected area swells;
- as the infection spreads, there are often signs of infection in other parts of the body. Children suffer from muscle pain, runny nose, aching knees, sore throat;
- the insidiousness of Lyme disease - a gradual attenuation of symptoms with persistence of infection in organs and tissues. After about a week, the signs of the disease disappear, but the problem only goes deeper;
- Lyme borreliosis does not go away without certain therapy, the consequences for the body can be severe. A particular danger lies in wait for children with weak immunity;
- for a complete cure, a course of antibiotics is required. Lack of therapy often causes damage to the heart, joints, nervous system... In severe cases, disability is possible. It is important to stop the spread of toxins and pathogenic bacteria in time. For this reason, one should not hesitate to visit a doctor for tests, selection of potent antibiotics.
What to do if a child is bitten by a tick
What to do at home if bitten by a tick? Act correctly: a lot depends on competent first aid. If parents unknowingly accidentally crush an insect, the victim will receive an additional portion of the infected fluid from the salivary glands of the dangerous disease vector. If the rules are followed, it is possible to minimize the risk of complications, and the spread of infection can be prevented.
Prohibited actions
Forbidden:
- drip kerosene or sunflower oil on the tick;
- cauterize the insect;
- try to crush the carrier of the infection;
- tear off the insect with your fingers;
- to discard the tick after removing it from the body: it is important to examine the blood-sucking "aggressor" in order to understand whether it is infected or not.
How to remove an insect correctly
Procedure:
- reassure the child, examine the affected area;
- ask to sit quietly, move less, do not rub the bite site with the development of burning, itching;
- take ordinary tweezers, if not, make a loop of thread;
- grab the blood-sucking insect closer to the head, start "unscrewing" it perpendicular to the skin. Movement - as when unscrewing a screw. You can slightly swing the body of the tick, gently moving your hand away from the surface;
- you cannot abruptly pull a dangerous insect out of the body: it is easy to accidentally crush it, force it to inject a new portion of infected saliva from big amount viruses or disease-causing bacteria and toxins;
- after removing the insect, put it in a jar, close the lid tightly, then take it for examination;
- the area where the bite was made, rinse with water, always with soap, gently blot, disinfect with alcohol;
- take the child to the doctor for tests. Never hesitate, especially if your baby is only one or two years old. Toxins spread quickly in the body, weak immunity reduces the resistance to infection.
On the page read about the dosage and rules for using Gerbion syrup for children.
What to do if tests show infection dangerous disease? Firstly, children of any age are placed in a hospital for constant monitoring of the course of the disease. In case of encephalitis, an anti-mite immunoglobulin must be injected. Borreliosis is a bacterial pathology. After an antibiotic susceptibility test, the doctor will prescribe a potent antibacterial drug;
At home, therapy for Lyme disease and viral encephalitis is not carried out: constant monitoring of the condition of the young patient is necessary.
Important! If you go to the doctor late, dangerous complications are possible. Be sure to show the child to a specialist for the timely detection of a serious infection.
Prevention - best protection from the dangerous consequences that small blood-sucking insects often provoke. Follow the rules, teach children safety precautions.
- living in the region where the encephalitis tick habitat is located is the reason for the mandatory antiencephalitis vaccination. The doctor will tell you the optimal age for vaccination, based on a combination of many factors;
- before going into the forest, places where there are thickets of tall grass, wet areas, prepare the "right" clothes. Your task is to close the body, prevent the tick from sucking in a place convenient for it. The best option: jackets, windbreakers with elastic bands on the hood and sleeves. Tuck your pants tightly into your socks, put on rubber boots or sneakers. A picnic in rubber boots is not very convenient: pick up closed shoes, be sure to tuck your trousers into your socks;
- Spray your clothing with insect repellent. Ticks smell warm-blooded prey at a great distance (while they have poor eyesight). It is important to confuse insects, not to allow themselves to be discovered. Not all sprays and creams are suitable for children. What to do? Clove or mint essential oil will help scare off blood-sucking insects;
- natural esters have a pungent odor, but at least do not contain harmful synthetic components. Spray natural insect repellents in your tent if no one is allergic to oils;
- after a walk, be sure to inspect the clothes, skin of all family members who have returned from a hike in the forest. Carefully check the folds of the skin, the area behind the ears, under the knees, head, groin, lower back. Shake off clothes over the bathroom, inspect pockets, joints of parts;
- if you find a tick, do not press it: gently pick it up with tweezers to avoid being bitten, put it in a jar with a tightly screwed lid. As soon as possible, hand over the blood-sucking insect to the sanitary-epidemiological station staff to find out what danger lies in wait for vacationers in a certain area.
Now you know what to do if a young tourist is bitten by a tick during a hike or picnic. Act wisely when identifying a blood-sucking insect on the body of any family member. Always carefully prepare for the trip, take into account the possibility of meeting with a dangerous vector of serious diseases. Remember to wear suitable clothing for hiking, repellents, and skin and clothing examinations when you return home.
For tick bites, always see a doctor to monitor the affected child's health. If necessary, treat in a hospital setting.
Video. Dr. Komarovsky on tick bites and other blood-sucking insects:
1. Do not smear the tick with oil, saliva or alcohol... The people believe that it is possible to block the tick's ability to breathe through the spiracles on the little body by smearing it on all sides with one of these miraculous substances. Therefore, the tick will not be able to breathe and will fall off on its own. To put it mildly, science does not confirm this. What to do if a person is bitten by a tick? Do not wait for the tick to suffocate and fall off, but try to remove it as soon as you find it. This can be done using an ordinary thread or a special device that is sold at the pharmacy. At the same time, try to pull out the whole tick without ripping off its head: it is in it that the salivary glands are located, which may contain the virus. If the head is still torn off, remove it with a needle, like a splinter. Of course, the needle must be disinfected before this.
First, the insect must be removed. We must say right away that this is not easy to do, since during the bite, the tick secretes salivary fluid, part of which serves as a fastening material and acts as glue, so the insect's nose is firmly glued to the wound surface. What to do? If the tick has not yet advanced deeply, then you can move it for 1-2 minutes left and right, after which it should smoothly come out. It is not recommended to forcefully pull out or pull out the tick with tweezers: this way you can remove the tick, but its head will remain in the thickness of the skin, which will further cause an inflammatory process. You just need to grab the insect with your fingers by lateral surfaces abdomen, as close to the head as possible, and gently pull up.
To safely pull the tick, you can use a regular thread: we tighten the loop around the head, the closer to the skin, the better. Then we pull - gradually, slowly. In order to speed up the process, some advise dripping 2-3 drops of sunflower oil, alcohol or strong saline solution onto the tick.
In most situations, this technique allows you to remove the tick without any problem. However, if you were in a hurry, and a head remained in the thickness of the skin, do not try to open the wound. Usually, within 1-2 days, the skin itself pushes the foreign body to the surface. But in order to avoid inflammation, it is necessary to lubricate the bite site with alcohol, brilliant green or other disinfectant 2-3 times a day.
What to do after a tick bite in a child
With the onset of warm days, we increasingly want to go to nature, to Fresh air away from the bustle of the city. And, of course, we take children with us - they also need active rest. However, simultaneously with going out into nature, danger can await us - just at this time ticks are activated in forests and plantings.
Nevertheless, let's return to the question: what to do if the tick has already bitten the child?
First, don't panic. It is necessary to pull yourself together and try to remove the insect from the thickness of the skin. If you do not undertake to do it yourself, then you can contact the nearest emergency room or sanitary and epidemiological station - they will do it quickly and competently there. If you will carry out the removal yourself, then do it slowly, gradually loosening the insect, without pulling it out, so as not to tear off the head.
After the procedure, it is imperative to treat the wound with alcohol, iodine or brilliant green.
When a child is bitten, the process of neutralization does not end there. Even if you have safely removed the insect, you should immediately take your baby to the clinic or hospital. It is advisable to put the removed tick in a resealable jar and send it to the laboratory for 2 days in order to examine it for the possibility of infection. After the analysis, depending on the result obtained, the doctor will tell you what to do next. Typically, the affected child is closely monitored for 3 weeks, paying attention to any symptoms that appear.
If the examination of the tick showed that it is infectious, then the child will definitely need to take a blood test. Already 10 days after the bite, blood should be donated for the presence of borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis using PCR. After 2 weeks, tests are taken for the presence of antibodies to the encephalitis virus, and 30 days after the bite - for the presence of antibodies to borrelia.
As an urgent preventive measure, Anaferon can be prescribed to the affected child, however, such an appointment should only be carried out by a doctor.
What to do after a tick bite?
- At first, best remedy from a tick bite is prevention. Wear the correct clothing, use appropriate insect repellent, and periodically inspect yourself and your baby for ticks.
- A means of preliminary prevention of diseases caused by ticks is vaccination, which includes the administration of several doses of the vaccine at regular intervals. Vaccination should be done at least one and a half months before the onset of the "dangerous" season.
- Remember that the hairs on the head, the subscapularis, the spine, the perineum, the umbilical region, the legs and arms are the most common places for mites to enter.
- When a tick bites, to speed up its removal, you can drop a few drops on the insect vegetable oil, or a pungent-smelling substance ( ammonia, ethyl alcohol, acetone, kerosene, etc.).
- A securely entrenched tick should be removed gradually, swinging left and right, without sudden movements.
- After removing the insect, it is necessary to carry out a mandatory treatment of the wound.
- If the tick has not been removed completely, you can consult a doctor for medical advice.
- The extracted tick is recommended to be examined in the laboratory of the sanitary epidemiological station for infectiousness.
- It is imperative to observe the general condition of the victim - to control the body temperature for 3 weeks. If symptoms such as fever, pain in the head or muscles, nausea appear, or the appearance of the wound has worsened (redness, pain, swelling), you should urgently consult an infectious disease doctor. As for the child, it is recommended to show it to a specialist in any case.
What should not be done after a tick bite?
- You cannot leave the insect in the wound (they say, it gets drunk - it will fall off itself). The mite can exist in the thickness of the skin for about 10 days. During this time, the infection can not only enter the body, but also spread and develop to the fullest.
- You cannot try to abruptly pull out the insect, pull it upward with force, because in such a situation you risk tearing off its body, and the head with the proboscis will remain in the layers of the skin. The tick must be easily swayed or twisted out of the wound.
- You cannot press on the tick, pierce it, burn it with matches or cigarettes - this increases the risk of infection, even if the skin is intact. And it will be much more difficult to remove the crushed insect.
- After removing the tick, you cannot leave the wound untreated - use any disinfectant available at hand - iodine, alcohol, vodka, alcohol solutions, brilliant green, etc.
- After a tick bite, symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle weakness, redness of the skin, vomiting, etc. must not be ignored. Be sure to contact a medical specialist immediately!
If you have been bitten by a tick, and you have not been previously vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis, then you can take urgent preventive measures using immunoglobulin - a medical specialist injects prepared antibodies obtained from human blood serum. Such antibodies can suppress the development of tick-borne encephalitis in the body. Immunoglobulin is administered during the first 96 hours that have passed from the time of the insect bite. An important point: counting is based on the time of the bite, and not on when the tick was found. Vaccination with immunoglobulin can be carried out in childhood.
If the tick turns out to be infected, and the victim has suspicious symptoms, then he is urgently sent to the hospital. He will be assigned the strictest bed rest and a fairly long course of treatment in the infectious diseases ward of the hospital.
Fortunately, not all ticks are infected. The danger is precisely the encephalitis tick, which outwardly does not differ in any way from an ordinary representative. For this reason, you should be careful about any bite, as it can have extremely adverse consequences.
What to do after a tick bite? Of course, it is better to immediately contact a medical facility for help. However, such perfect option does not always work, because where ticks live, the doctor is usually far away. Therefore, the recommendations listed by us can help in organizing first aid to the victim, as well as direct them to competent further actions.