tick bites

[SebastienClement]

Out for a bike ride this morning. Stopped to take a photo, and noticed something black on my finger. Looked like a curled up spider. Brushed it off... Didn't think anything more of it. There was a tad of blood after swiping it, but at the time I assumed it was the 'spiders', and not mine.

Only after I got home did it dawn on me it was probably a tick, and I've probably got Lyme disease.

I'm aware of all the things to look out for in the next week or so with Lyme disease, but I cant actually decide if the thing bit me or not. No visibke Mark at all on my finger where it was. Nothing.

Would something show immediately if it had bitten me?

[Big Fat Fatty]

And IIRC you'd only be at risk of Lyme disease if the little buggers's head was still in the wound and couldn't be removed. If you can't see anything where it may have bitten you I think you'll live.

[theshrew]

You will probably bleed if it had a chomp on you. Doesnt there saliver stop the wound healing up straingt away ?

You need check its not left its beak thing in you i think thats what causes the problems.

[SebastienClement]

There us absolutely no marks on my finger where I found it etc... so can't see it's head being lodged in (surely I'd be able to see it?).

Perhaps it was a spider!

[theshrew]

No sure mate ive only ever taken one off my dog couldnt really see because of the hair

[karona]

Out here in Bulgaria a tick bite is considered a medical emergency, the standard treatment protocol is a week's inpatient treatment with intravenous antibiotics.

Your mileage might vary but hey-ho you're only risking Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, relapsing fever, tularemia, tick-borne meningoencephalitis, Colorado tick fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, babesiosis, and cytauxzoonosis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick

[JumboBeef]

SebastienClement said:

and I've probably got Lyme disease.

Of course you have. You'll die a horrible death in the next few minutes.

I've been bitten by three ticks this year (and I get them every year). The joys of living in the sticks/walking in the woods every day, regardless of what I wear. Not died yet

[R1gtr]

I never used to worry about ticks, poured vinegar on them and then pulled them off, however last year a young local gamekeeper took ill with with it and sadly passed away.
Since then I take care when out with the dogs, last time I was not sure I got the head out so gouged a hole out of the surrounding area to be sure.

[johnnyBv8]

Even if it did bite, you'd probably only be at lymes disease risk if it was on you for 24h plus.

Not everyone gets the bullseye telltale rash, so also be aware of any flu-like symptoms.

Edited by johnnyBv8 on Wednesday 7th August 16:17

[Silver993tt]

karona said:

Out here in Bulgaria a tick bite is considered a medical emergency, the standard treatment protocol is a week's inpatient treatment with intravenous antibiotics.

Your mileage might vary but hey-ho you're only risking Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, relapsing fever, tularemia, tick-borne meningoencephalitis, Colorado tick fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, babesiosis, and cytauxzoonosis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick

Ticks in the UK don't carry most of those diseases.

[budgie smuggler]

R1gtr said:

I never used to worry about ticks, poured vinegar on them and then pulled them off, however last year a young local gamekeeper took ill with with it and sadly passed away.
Since then I take care when out with the dogs, last time I was not sure I got the head out so gouged a hole out of the surrounding area to be sure.

Get a tick remover from a pet shop, they let you get the out easily without snapping their gubbins off inside you.

[Skyrat]

A family member got a tick bite and ended up with Lyme disease. One year later she's still in pain and her hands hurt like hell.

[goldblum]

SebastienClement said:

... Looked like a curled up spider.

FFS

[SebastienClement]

goldblum said:

FFS

Care to elaborate?

I do hope you're not taking my OP too seriously.

[goldblum]

SebastienClement said:

goldblum said:

FFS

Care to elaborate?

I do hope you're not taking my OP too seriously.

No danger of that happening.

[SebastienClement]

goldblum said:

No danger of that happening.

I can't quite see the problem here?

[TheJimi]

There has been a spike in reported cases of Lyme disease in Britain over the past few years. Mild winters and a change in sheep dip used by farmers have contributed to an increase in tick population.

Another contributory factor in the rise in cases is the theory that more older people are spending more time up the hills. Older people = less affective immune systems = more prone to LD.

I reckon I dodged a bullet with Lyme Disease a few years back.

Was on the isle of Rum for a trek, and ended up with quite a few ticks on me. Got them all off but after I got back, I developed the symptomatic circular rash. It really was a perfect circle, quite uncanny to see. Anyway, I was given a course of anti bios (iirc) and had two separate blood tests over a period of time, and both came up all clear.

Horrible little f*ckers.

[johnnyBv8]

TheJimi said:

I reckon I dodged a bullet with Lyme Disease a few years back.

Was on the isle of Rum for a trek, and ended up with quite a few ticks on me. Got them all off but after I got back, I developed the symptomatic circular rash. It really was a perfect circle, quite uncanny to see. Anyway, I was given a course of anti bios (iirc) and had two separate blood tests over a period of time, and both came up all clear.

Horrible little f*ckers.

Unfortunately a negative blood test for Lyme categorically does not rule out an active borrelial infection! Depends where you live, but a lot of GPs just don't know enough about Lyme. The crcle/bullseye is pretty much a confirmation that you had Stage 1 of the diseases, but as long as you got early treatment with antibiotics, then the chances of developing problems due to disseminated infection(Stage 2) is pretty low.