Tick talk!

I have resided in my previous address for around 11 years in the city limits of Branson and not once did I ever find a tick on myself, even though my little house was MORE than surrounded by trees. The country has always been my perceived place of contentment and solitude—where I want to spend the “last quarter” of the ballgame, so to speak. But as they say, “To get something, one must give up something!” My sacrifice for now getting to live in quiet beauty, serenity and solitude is the absence of a tick-free existence. I figured I needed to get educated on this so since it is that time of the year for these nuisances to start partying, I will bring you all along for the ride hoping to spare you from any unexpected surprises if you are unknowingly in an infested tick utopia.

So far, the diseases we know to be tick-borne are the following:

1) Lyme Disease

2) Anaplasmosis

3) Babesiosis

4) Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

5) Powassan Virus

6) Ehrlichiosis

7) Tularemia

8) Alpha Gal Syndrome

There are more I’m sure, but space constraints will allow just the most prevalent ones.

The symptoms of these are:

1) Lyme: Most common tick-borne illness and transmitted by black-legged ticks. It presents with an expanding “bullseye” rash, fatigue, headache, fever, joint and muscle pain.

2) Anaplasmosis/Ehrlichiosis: Bacterial infections that cause fever, headache and muscle aches, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting.

3) Babesiosis: Caused by transmitted parasites that infect red blood cells. The symptoms resemble the flu—fever, chills, sweats, body aches and loss of appetite.

4) Powassan Virus: A rare and severe virus that can deliver an “end game” of encephalitis—fever, vomiting, weakness and severe headache.

5) Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: A bacterial disease that is fatal if not caught and treated in a timely manner with fever, nausea, headache and a rash on the wrist and ankles.

6) Tularemia: Often carried by dog ticks, this causes skin ulcers at bite site, fever and swollen lymph nodes.

7) Alpha Gal Syndrome: A serious red meat allergy triggered by the Lone Star Tick. Symptoms can include hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or anaphylaxis.

Of course, we all want to be tough, but if you choose to minimize the damage (if possible), when you develop a fever, rash or body aches after a tick bite, contact a health care provider, particularly if you live in the country, as symptoms can appear within days.

The initial reaction can be a small bump or itching and it may clear on its own. Redness spreading 2 inches, pus, fever, or severe fatigue can be a red flag to see a doctor.

Removal: If you are lucky enough to see the tick, removal would consist of tweezing the tick close to the skin and pulling upward; don’t use petroleum jelly or a match.

If there is a bit of “good news,” it would be that these scoundrels do not completely bury themselves under your skin as do scabies. They only bury the heads and you can easily see the remainder of the tick body, making it easy to pluck them away.

The duration of symptoms with most tick-borne diseases would be two weeks to a month. Also, most are or can be treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, cefuroxime or the generics. All of this, of course, hinges on early detection and swift diagnosis/treatment.

The best prevention would be that your body is completely covered, appropriate bug spray prior to venturing out (permethrin, DEET and picaridin) and then showering immediately after coming in from outside. Then, no matter how awkward, have your significant other double check the areas that you couldn’t check for yourself. Remember these creatures pack a powerful punch if not “neutralized” quickly!