With the onset of the warm season, Ukrainians are increasingly reminded of the danger posed by ticks. In forests, parks, at summer cottages, and even in urban areas of green vegetation, these parasites can pose a serious threat to health - in particular, due to the risk of contracting Lyme disease and other infections. Doctors once again remind us: prevention is the key to safety.
What to wear and what to bring with you
Before going for walks in nature or staying in a forest park area, you should take care of protective clothing. The best choice would be light-colored clothing, which makes it easier to spot ticks. Pants should be tucked into socks, shirts should have long sleeves, and your head should be covered. Exposed areas of skin and outer clothing should be treated with repellents - products that repel ticks.
Checking is the best habit
When you are outdoors, it is advisable to check yourself and your companions, especially children, every 15–20 minutes. Pay attention to the areas that ticks choose most often: the neck, armpits, ears, stomach, groin area, and the folds of the knees. Also, be sure to check your pets, as ticks can enter the house on their fur.
How to recognize a bite
The tick does not attach to the skin immediately: it takes about 15–20 minutes. It secretes a liquid that numbs the bite site, so the process is almost imperceptible. Symptoms appear only after a few hours or days: redness, itching, swelling. It is especially important to monitor areas of the body that ticks can reach unnoticed.
If the tick has already bitten
If you find a tick, go to the emergency room immediately - it will be professionally removed and the bite site will be treated. If this is not possible, the tick should be slowly removed yourself - with tweezers or a loop of thread, trying not to leave the proboscis in the skin. After the procedure, the bite site should be disinfected.
It is advisable to keep the tick in an airtight container with a damp cloth inside for further laboratory analysis for borreliosis. For two weeks after the bite, it is worth taking your temperature daily and monitoring your well-being. If redness, fever or weakness appear, consult a doctor immediately.
