Spending time outdoors, especially in green areas, by a river or lake, increases the risk of being bitten by a tick. They can carry viruses, bacteria and protozoa that are dangerous to our health. Ticks are most often encountered in places covered with grass or bushes. Bushes are an ideal place to wait for their "victim", ticks most often hide on the shaded underside of leaves, no higher than 1-1.5 m. They are most active in the morning and evening hours.

When will we encounter a tick?

When the daily temperature exceeds 5-7°C and the humidity is high, ticks become active. After emerging from hibernation, they must find a host from mid-March. The first peak of seasonal activity occurs between March and June, with the second peak occurring in September. Tick activity ends when the average air temperature drops below 5-7°C, which typically occurs in October and November in Poland. The activity season can be disrupted by natural anomalies; these arachnids can even be encountered on warmer days in winter.

How to protect yourself from ticks?

• Appropriate clothing, e.g. long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat, will make it much more difficult for a tick to reach our skin.
• By choosing light-colored clothing, we can spot the parasite and remove it in time.
• Using tick repellents will provide additional protection, but remember to use them according to the instructions on the label.
• After returning from a walk, carefully examine the entire body, ticks like places where the skin is thinnest: arms, legs, head - at the hairline and behind the ears, joint bends, groin and skin folds. (on arms, legs, head - at the hairline and behind the ears, in joint bends, groin and skin folds).

What to do if you notice a tick on your body?

It must be disposed of immediately and properly:

• we remove only mechanically, preferably with plastic tweezers or a special device available at the pharmacy,
• you should grab the tick close to the skin, by the front part of the body, and pull it upwards with a firm movement,
• wash the puncture site with hydrogen peroxide or 40% alcohol for disinfection
• wash your hands thoroughly,
• The injection site should be monitored for several weeks, also paying attention to your general well-being. If any disturbing symptoms occur, consult a doctor.

Do not twist the tick directly with your fingers or remove it using greasing substances!

Remember!

Removing the tick as early as possible significantly reduces the risk of potential infection. It is estimated that even if the tick was infected, if it is removed from the skin within 12 hours of the bite, the number of Lyme spirochetes that enter the human body will be too small to cause infection.

Ticks are dangerous to health

Lyme disease is a multisystem inflammatory disease that initially affects the skin, then the joints, central nervous system, and other organs, including the heart. If left untreated, the disease can cause serious health consequences. Lyme disease infection is asymptomatic in its initial stages. Visible symptoms, such as a round or oval red rash, may appear within a few weeks of the bite. Symptoms may also include:

• high fever, weakness, dizziness and headaches,
• muscle and joint pain,
• general weakness of the body,
• neurological problems.

Tick-borne encephalitis can be asymptomatic, mild, or severe, leading to disability and even death. Tick-borne encephalitis symptoms occur in two stages. A few days after the initial symptoms subside, symptoms return, and may be accompanied by other symptoms. Vaccination is a key way to protect against tick-borne encephalitis, immunizing the body against the disease. It's recommended to get vaccinated in winter or early spring, before the first increase in tick activity.

How does tick-borne encephalitis manifest:

Phase I (lasts 4-14 days):

• temperature up to 38 degrees,
• feeling unwell, increasing weakness,
• headaches and neck pain,
• muscle pain, limb pain, eye pain,

Phase II (neurological):

• high fever, up to 40 degrees,
• severe headaches,
• nausea, vomiting,
• meningeal symptoms,
• muscle and joint pain.

Source: gis.gov.pl