Huge tick

I was horrified the other day to hear that a friend of mine had actually been poorly for months and what was the cause of this illness ……… a tick!

It seems that way back in the summer she had been out for a country walk and unbeknown to her she must have been bitten by a tick. I am told they are often found close to where deers graze and these were prevalent in this area.

Some weeks later she started to feel really ill with unexplained weakness in her limbs and terrible fatigue. Eventually she was taken to hospital and was finally diagnosed after many tests with Lyme disease.

This is a bacterial infection which is passed to humans by ticks as they suck on your blood. If left without treatment it can affect the heart, joints and nervous system.

Apparently they are very small sometimes just the size of a poppy seed and can be easily missed. If a tick is found and removed quickly there is a very small risk of infection. A bite will just look like a small lump with a scab on the skin at the site of the bite. Then often a rash develops in the shape of a ring and this indicates a sign of infection. Other signs include headache, tiredness, joint pain and flu symptoms.

This can often last weeks or even longer and sometimes they can even occur several years later. Hence early detection will help to ease the symptoms and shorten the illness.

The Health Protection Agency reported 768 cases of Lyme disease in the UK in 2006. This figure could definitely grow bigger as the tick population in this country is on the increase. The peak times for tick bites are in the late spring, early summer and autumn.

It is really important to be aware of the these signs and be vigilant especially where children are concerned when out on walks in the country. If however you are unfortunate enough to have a problem with ticks there are expert pest control companies who will able to give advice as to the best pest repeller for this problem.

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Filed under: Health and Fitness

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