5 myths about ticks that cause people to suffer from them more

Myth 1. Ticks are found only in deep forest

Unfortunately no. The tick can be caught even in the city park. They love mites’ habitats in humid places: ravines, glades and lawns in the shade, thickets next to water bodies. Ticks live in the grass: they sit on the upper part of the shoot and wait for their prey.

During the active season of these arachnids from April to September even your own lawn can be dangerous. If the house or summer cottage is located near the forest, trim the lawn in time: ticks do not live on low grass. Approximate height the forest mite that suits them is up to 1.5 meters.

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Myth 2. I got vaccinated against ticks: there is nothing to be afraid of

Only partly. Vaccination can help protect yourself from encephalitis. In this case, if you are bitten by an encephalitis tick, you will not get sick.

However, ticks carry many different infections: Lyme disease, or tick-borne borreliosis — affects the nervous system and causes heart problems; human monocytic ehrlichiosis — destroys internal organs: lungs, liver, kidneys, cardiovascular system; tularemia — it causes an increase in lymph nodes, accompanied by diseases of the heart and stomach; recurrent tick-borne typhus — proceeds in the form of attacks of fever, it can provoke jaundice. And many more.

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Myth 3. If I wear dark clothes, a tick bite is not a threat

No one remembers exactly where this urban legend came from. But they retell it with joy to each other. And the irony of the myth is that ticks do not distinguish colors at all: their visual apparatus is too primitive.

In fact, it is better to do the opposite: wear light-colored clothing when going outdoors. This will not in any way affect your attractiveness to ticks, but it will be easier to spot the parasite on a white background. Try to leave fewer exposed areas on your body. And after a walk, carefully examine each other’s skin.

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Myth 4. If I immediately pull out a tick, it will not have time to infect me

Unfortunately, a couple of minutes are enough for infection. The tick plunges its proboscis into human skin and releases the secretions of the salivary glands. If it is infected, along with saliva, particles of viruses or dangerous bacteria enter the bloodstream: for example, Borrelia, if we are talking about Lyme disease.

After that, the tick begins to be saturated with blood, and the infectious agent that has entered the human body begins to multiply. In addition, it can be difficult to understand exactly when the mite has stuck to the skin. They can be on the human body for some time, looking for a comfortable place. And the bite may not be felt at all, since the ticks secrete an anesthetic secret.

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Myth 5. I can take out a tick myself: I just need to drip vegetable oil on it

Or grease with Vaseline the bloodsucker will immediately unhook. And even better with alcohol or vinegar, so the villain will definitely loosen his grip! There are many popular ways to get rid of a tick, but they are more harmful than useful. The fact is that oil or alcohol does not kill the parasite with lightning speed. He begins to choke and in convulsions goes even deeper into the skin.

In addition, you can only understand what the tick was infected with using a laboratory test. And for him it is necessary that the one who bit was alive. Therefore, you can remove the parasite yourself only if you are sure that you will do everything carefully. For example, using special tick removal tweezers that you can buy at the pet store. Place the removed pest in the test jar and close.

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Сообщение 5 myths about ticks that cause people to suffer from them more появились сначала на Информационно-аналитическое издание SM.News.