The child was bitten by a tick: symptoms and consequences

At least once in the life of the tick was seen by every person - this is a small dark crawling insect that clings to the skin of animals and humans. Despite the small size, the tick is not so harmless, since it can cause the development of dangerous infectious diseases. That's why any parents are very worried if the child is bitten by a tick. Especially since it is rather problematic to notice an insect immediately after its bite. Most often, the mite is found already when it is filled with blood and will increase in size.

Symptoms of a tick bite

In spring and summer, many nature lovers may suffer from the attack of a tick. As practice shows, 20 to 30% of victims are children. A few years ago, the most active period of insect damage was May, then in the last five years, due to changes in the climate, the parasite has become dangerous also throughout the summer period and even with the advent of autumn.

The insect can bite not only in the forest, but also in the park, the nearest square. Well, if it is not infectious. However, the degree of infectiousness can not be determined outwardly, so it remains to observe the victim so as not to miss possible symptoms of the disease - tick-borne infection.

This disease can affect any person, regardless of age and sex. The disease has a negative effect on the function of the nervous system, provoking the development of pain, paresis and paralysis, which in the future can result in a fatal outcome.

The tick is very light and small, so it's extremely difficult to notice its presence on the skin. During the bite, he allocates a specific substance in the wound, acting as a local anesthetic - thus, the victim does not feel this moment, but only detects an insect when examining the entire body.

Meanwhile, infection with tick infection already begins, developing with the penetration of the pathogen with the saliva of the insect. In this case, the first signs can be found both in a day and in a few weeks.

On the site where the tick was bitten, redness, swelling, with or without itching may appear.

The child begins to fever - there is a high temperature, which does not get off by conventional drugs and may not pass for several days. The child becomes worse, there is pain in the head, it makes him sick, vomiting may begin. The upper half of the body loses sensitivity, limbs weaken.

Rarely, but still sometimes the disease is latent, hidden. The baby begins to feel discomfort, there is a general feeling of weakness, he does not sleep well. However, such an erased current is fraught with even greater danger than the acute development of the disease. Exacerbation of infectious pathology occurs abruptly, suddenly, which is often an exorbitant burden on the children's body.

To prevent the development of the disease, first, you need to neutralize the tick, provide first aid to the child. Secondly, you need to see a doctor and watch the baby for one month, fixing any changes in the state of health and well-being of the baby. At the slightest suspicion, you should immediately call a medical professional.

Consequences of a tick bite

After removal of the tick from the thickness of the skin, the insect is recommended to be taken to the nearest representative office of the Sanitary and Epidemic Station where it is examined for infectious carriage. After such an analysis, you will know exactly whether the parasite represents a danger to your child.

If you injured the insect while pulling out, or just threw it out, the presence of infection can be determined by donating the victim's blood for research. However, this analysis is carried out no earlier than 10 days after the attack of the tick. If you perform an analysis earlier, then its results will be incorrect.

What consequences can occur if a child is bitten by an infected tick?

• Viral encephalitis begins under the guise of a banal catarrhal disease: headache, weakness, aches in muscles and joints. Gradually the temperature rises, the head turns. The duration of the incubation period for encephalitis is from 7 to 21 days from the time of the bite (and not the detection). If after three weeks the symptoms did not appear, you can breathe a sigh of relief - there is no disease.
• Borreliosis (Lyme disease) is spread by mites, which, together with saliva, supply specific spirocytosis bacteria to the blood. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of a red spot or circle around the site of the bite, which is accompanied by a slight itch. The duration of the incubation period of the disease is about 30-35 days, after which there is a state of discomfort, changes in the bite zone, swelling of the lymph nodes closest to this zone, an increase in temperature, and soreness of the musculoskeletal system.
• If the listed infectious diseases are not treated, then heart failure, CNS and brain damage, death can occur.

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What should I do if my baby is bitten by a tick?

First, to prevent such a question from arising, it is necessary to take preventive methods before the probable bite:

• during a walk in the forest, the baby's clothes should be kept as close as possible - long sleeves and pants that fit tightly to the body (can be worn on elastic bands), socks, a cap. It should be remembered that the insect does not bite through the clothing layer: for the tick bite, there is an open area of the body;
• on returning from a walk it is necessary to carefully examine yourself and the child, preferably in the shower. Attention should be paid to the area of the head, neck, back, explore the inguinal zone, legs and hands;
• before going to the forest, treat clothing and visible areas of the body with special repellent solutions that scare off insects. Among the repellents, the most well-known are the preparations based on diethyltoluomide - the Slovenian drug Biban, the Russian Dafi-Taiga, the Italian Off-extrim, etc. In addition, there are means that kill the insects that have appeared on the clothing, but such solutions can not be applied directly to the skin, but only for equipment. These preparations are prepared on the basis of permethrin substance: Permanone, Fumitox, Tornado, Pretex, etc.

However, the best method of prevention is vaccination - vaccination against possible infection with tick-borne infection. In our country there are several types of such vaccinations:

• vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis inactivated - used by children from the age of 4, as well as adults;
• vaccine Encevir - can be used for children from 3 years old and adults;
• Austrian Serum FSME-Immun - is used from the age of 16, and the version of FSME-junior is from one-year-old age;
• German preparation Encepur (a child and adult vaccine, is applied from one-year-old age).

If you still did not see and the tick sucked securely into the baby's skin, then in no case should you panic: after you, a child may be frightened, and this should not be allowed. It is necessary to take in yourself and try to remove the insect, observing a certain sequence of actions:

• if possible, wear rubber gloves;
• drip on the body of the parasite a drop of sharply aromatic liquid (acetone, gasoline, etc.), or any vegetable oil. You can also moisten cotton wool in a strong salt solution and attach to the insect for 2-3 minutes;
• take tweezers, firmly grasp the mite closer to the head;
• slowly and gradually, with staggering movements, pull it upward, without twisting or making sharp movements. If you drag sharply up or to the side, you can tear the mite, leaving inside the skin its head, which can subsequently cause inflammation.

After you have pulled out the parasite, you need to treat the wound with any antiseptic - alcohol, cologne, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, etc.

What can not be done:

• leave the insect on the body (it will get drunk and fall off itself);
• pierce it, cauterize it, cut it off sharply;
• Try to separate the parasite from the body with your fingers (you can crush it and crush it).

Where should I go if the tick is bitten by a child?

If you are not sure that you can get yourself to remove the insect from the skin, you can easily call an "emergency room", go to the emergency department or a sanitary and epidemiological station - there you must help.

To visit the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station is recommended and in case you have removed the tick yourself - the insect can be put in a tightly closed jar and send it for two days to a study to find out if it was dangerous. In the future, if the fears are confirmed, the sanitary doctors will tell you about your further actions.

Some complication is that the expected results of the analysis will be about 10 days. Therefore, all this time you need to observe the behavior and well-being of the child. It is desirable that the baby observe bed rest, eat foods rich in vitamins (especially vitamin C). If the doctor suggests an injection (the introduction of an anti -encephalitis immunoglobulin), then you should know that such a drug can be effective if you enter it for no more than 4 days after the bite of the insect. This injection is used only in older children and adults.

If it is impossible to investigate an insect, then it is possible to analyze the blood of the child for the presence of an infectious agent. While they are conducting the study, the doctor can prescribe prophylactic antibiotic therapy, with the use of such drugs as Bicillin, Azitrox, Amoxiclav, and others. Observation with an infectious disease doctor should be mandatory all this time.

In our time, medical specialists have a large number of effective drugs that can eliminate the danger of disease after an insect bite. But still, it will be reasonable, as far as possible, to avoid defeat by mites, because there are also enough funds and measures for this.

If the child is bitten by a tick, then this should not be ignored, despite the fact that most of these insects do not carry a danger. Without delay, consult a doctor - it's really very important and serious.