Ticks in the spring: how to protect yourself from them and what to do with a bite

Spring – one of our favorite times of the year, when nature is renewed, everything blooms and turns green. However, a kind of "fly in the ointment" such a beauty is brought by such a small insect as a tick. In the spring, ticks literally go "hunting", hiding in the grass or on the leaves of shrubs. They are not so easy to notice and usually people find such a "guest" on oneself already upon returning home, often after a few days. How to protect yourself from these insects and what to do if bitten by a tick, estet-portal.com will tell.

What danger do ticks pose in spring

Ticks are dangerous in the spring because they can spread a dangerous disease called tick-borne encephalitis. This is an acute viral disease that entails severe consequences in the form of disability or even death. The thing is that the causative agent of the disease affects the human nervous system, and not some separate organ. And with a tick bite, this pathogen is transmitted in the very first minutes of contact.

Many people think that ticks live exclusively in the forest area – and if you do not walk through the forest, then "pick up" this insect will fail. However, ticks live quite calmly in city parks and squares, in recreation areas near water. They also live in cottages. Your pets can also pick them up there – therefore, they should always be carefully inspected after a walk. By the way, the same rule must be observed in relation to oneself.

Ticks spread a dangerous disease in the spring – tick-borne encephalitis. Its main symptoms are a sharp rise in temperature, vomiting, chills, muscle and headache, and redness of the skin of the body.

It is also important to know how to recognize tick-borne encephalitis. Its first signs are:
• a sharp rise in temperature to 38 or 39 degrees;
• chills and severe headache;
• nausea, vomiting;
• muscle pain;
• redness of the skin.
As you can see, the symptoms are similar to the onset of SARS or the flu. However, the last sign – skin redness – This is a characteristic symptom of tick-borne encephalitis. And it cannot be ignored. In general, after a tick bite, these signs may appear after 10-14 days. In rare cases, the incubation period can last up to 60 days.

Ticks in the spring: how to protect yourself from them

Of course, any problem is better prevented than allowed to occur. Given the danger of the disease that ticks carry in the spring, it is important to prevent contact with this insect. How to do it:
1. When going out into nature, wear closed-type clothing: regular trousers or jeans, long-sleeved shirts.
2. Trousers can be tucked into socks, but it is better to wear high shoes so that ticks from the grass or forest floor do not enter them.
3. It is better to wear a cap or scarf on your head.

Also, while in nature, periodically inspect yourself for ticks. It will not be superfluous to get repellents – means that repel these insects. And it is better to make a special vaccination against encephalitis.

Vaccination is given at least 2 weeks before you go to nature or go on a trip to places where cases of encephalitis tick bites are often recorded.

What to do if bitten by a tick

If a tick bites, you must immediately take action – remove it from the body. It is best to have this done by a doctor. However, not always and everywhere there is an opportunity to quickly get to the clinic. Therefore, you can get rid of the tick yourself by observing the following rules:

1. It is necessary to capture the insect with tweezers or tweezers as close as possible to its mouth apparatus – i.e. to your skin. It is very important in the process not to squeeze the “contents” into your body; tick so as not to introduce infection.
2. Hold the tick perpendicular to the bite surface.
3. Next, turn the body of the insect around its axis and slowly pull it out.
4. The bitten place should be treated with iodine or cologne, wash your hands with soap and water.

If a black dot remains at the bite site, it means that the proboscis of the parasite has remained in the body. Do not try to extract it: this will only speed up the spread of infection. Treat the place with iodine and visit a doctor as soon as possible. By the way, do not throw away the extracted tick, but put it in a box or jar.

So that not a single tick can bite you in the spring, use repellents in nature and wear closed clothes. Also periodically inspect the body, checking if the insect has stuck. If a tick has bitten, then you need to carefully remove it, treat the wound with iodine, and consult a doctor yourself. Take the removed tick immediately to the laboratory for analysis. And finally, we note that not every tick is a carrier of infections and viruses, so you should not immediately panic when bitten. However, this fact does not eliminate the need to protect yourself from ticks and check your health when bitten.