About a year or so ago there was quite a lot of useful discussion about these insects here. This article describes some of the health problems that they can cause: theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...
They can clearly be quite dangerous, possibly even more so to AF sufferers. You can purchase anti-tick cards, teeezers etc. to deal with them on Amazon.
Yep, having had a number of tick bites over the last ten years when working in my smallholding, my visiting grandchildren know my mantra to check every night. Fortunately I have had only two that were infected and necessitated the particular antibiotic Doxycycline for 2 weeks; not sure whether the critter triggered my AF journey. This year thankfully no bites so far but never complacent!!
Keep a watch out for Lyme symptoms. Two weeks of Doxy for an acute bite is not nearly enough to eradicate them. You need at least 8 weeks of Doxy. I can tell you that Lyme co infections absolutely caused my AFib as they mess with the nervous system (vagus nerve). My AFib was vagal.
Yes my AF is certainly vagally mediated but with 200mgs Flecainide and a host of lifestyle changes I have kept it at bay for 10 years. The body is an amazing machine at dealing with things given time and I feed it the best medicine - the cleanest food and water I can obtain.
It’s certainly a good idea to check regularly. If you extract them in under a few hours they are less likely to cause infection apparently.
This is a bad year for ticks. I've had about 4 bites so far but all identified and removed within 24 hours. My dog has a monthly tablet that kills them as soon as they bite. She has never had a tick attach whereas my previous dog had loads. There should be a tablet for humans! I spray my clothing with permethrin which is the only insecticide that works well with ticks.
Permethrin certainly sounds better than DEET which can cause a lot of damage to things like mobile phones.
We keep a dropper of alcohol and a pair of fine tweezers in the car these days. Somerset is where I seem to get them the most, and, so far, never in Norfolk and Suffolk although new signs have been put up on their nature reserves.
I had lots of tests for Lyme disease years ago as I had several symptoms, including atrial flutter and peripheral neuropathy, but they came back negative. I'm still not convinced though as it's a hard thing to test for, I have read.
Steve
yes Lyme testing is very unreliable. You have to find a specialty lab that does different testing than a normal lab. Flutter and neuropathy can be sure signs of infection. I have experienced both and have been treating for 4 years so far and still not gone. Once it’s gone chronic it is a nightmare to deal with. Immune system can thwart it for some time but eventually immune system will wear down. Just some information based on my personal journey.
Reading about it over the years, it strikes me as one of those strange diseases, a little like ME, that leaves medics split between those who believe in chronic Lyme disease and those who don't. I was told that I was given the definitive test and it came back negative. I never had any infection from any bite, but, again, that seems not to be definitive for the chronic form.
I wonder whether we're not going to be in trouble as this disease grows more common owing to the enormous recent increases in deer and badger populations.
Steve
yes it is increasing substantially by the year. More and more people are discovering they have it years after being bitten and after numerous false negative testing. It’s an epidemic for sure and the government(at least US govt) does not want to acknowledge it. None of the treatment is covered under insurance for that reason. It is heart breaking to say the least. Prayers that you never have to experience it.
They seem to be most prevalent in Scotland, perhaps because of deer. But climate change means they will become more prevalent all over the UK.
I struggle to understand why deer - especially the Muntjac, it seems - are increasing so much recently. We see them so regularly these days, often sadly dead, of course, on the side of roads.
Steve
I think there are a number of reasons. I suggest one reason is the increase in set-aside which is ideal for deer. Another is the reduction in shooting. Venison is a great low fat, low carbon food, is quite cheap and should be all over the shops but it's not and that's partly the Bambi effect and partly the scarcity of experienced shots.
It does seem odd that venison isn’t more popular but I suspect it’s maybe rather a strong flavour for many tastes - in the same way rabbit and wood pigeon are? Around Leicestershire it seems to be the muntjac that is spreading so widely.
Steve
Apparently, the market for venison collapsed during the lockdowns and there was reduced culling. There have been two or more breeding cycles since. There are now more deer in the UK than there have been for 1000 years.
That explains it. I was chatting to a local farmer a few years ago now and he surprised me with how many muntjac deer they had to cull each year as, back then, they were still an unusual sight. Today - they can be seen everywhere. Tic-borne diseases will soon be very prevalent, I think.
Steve
Hi
Yucky things and my dogs brought them in.
Pulling then out whole is best.
I read that some folks have a spot and a tick has buried into one's skin.
UK and ticks were an experience.
We don't seem to get them in NZ.
When I left my bedsit I found a big one on the floor.
cheri JOY 74. (NZ)
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