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I was horrified the other day when I heard that a friend of mine had actually been ill for months and what was the cause of this illness ……… a tick!
It turns out that way back in the summer she had been out for a country walk and unbeknown to her she must have inadvertently picked up 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 can be passed to humans by ticks as they suck on your blood. If left without treatment it can infect the heart, joints and nervous system.
Apparently they are very small sometimes the size of a poppy seed and can be easily missed. If a tick is found and removed fast there is a very low risk of infection. A bite will appear like a small lump with a scab on the skin at the site of the bite. Usually 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 for weeks or even longer and 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 throughout the UK in 2006. This figure could definitely grow bigger as the tick population in this country is on the increase. The main 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 on country walks. 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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