Anyone who often enjoys being out and about in nature has probably already met one of them: ticks are unpleasant parasites that settle in the skin and, in the worst case, can transmit diseases. One of them is Lyme disease. This disease, caused by bacteria, can lead to joint problems, for example. But temporary paralysis and inflammation in the brain are also possible consequences.
You can have a doctor take a blood test to determine whether you are suffering from the disease approximately five weeks after a tick bite. If the test is positive, antibiotics can help. There is no vaccination against Lyme disease.
A second disease that can often be transmitted by ticks is tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The viruses of this infectious disease are transmitted by ticks. Flu-like symptoms are typical. An infection of the meninges, brain or spinal cord are also possible, although very rare. Problematic: TBE cannot be treated, but there is a vaccination that can be useful if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
To minimize the chances of ticks getting to your skin, you can protect yourself using the following methods:
It also makes sense to have tick tweezers and disinfectant with you when hiking or spending longer periods in nature so that you can react quickly in the event of a tick bite.
It is also important to check yourself (and especially children) thoroughly for ticks after spending time outdoors. The hairline, ears, neck, armpits, elbow, belly button, genital area, bottom crack or the back of the knee are attractive areas of the body for ticks that you should take into account when searching. You should also look out not only for larger ticks, but also for larvae that may have gotten onto your body.
Source: RKI
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