Tick ​​bite: how to recognize dangerous symptoms and provide help?

Every person has encountered such an unpleasant insect as a tick. There are more than 50 thousand species of them on the planet. However, not all of them are dangerous to humans. Some species live only on animals, others on plants. Ixodid ticks pose the greatest danger to humans.

The lack of ability to fly is compensated by the ability to quickly move through tall grass and low bushes. An ordinary tick bite is not dangerous to humans, provided that the tick has not been infected with an arbovirus, which causes meningoencephalitis.

How dangerous is a tick bite?

The consequences of the attack depend on whether the tick was infected. The most dangerous is the encephalitis tick.

The results of his attack are very serious (in case of infection or untimely treatment):

• paralysis;
• difficulty breathing occurs;
• brain functioning deteriorates;
• death.

If you are bitten by an uninfected parasite, the consequences are less dangerous:

• the bitten area festers;
• allergies appear;
• Swelling occurs, possibly Quincke's edema.

Let's celebrate! Without the help of specialists, it is unrealistic to find out which tick bit you (infectious or not). Its appearance and color mean nothing. If attacked by an infected tick, timely treatment can save a person’s life.

Stages of treatment

• Remember that seeking medical help will help avoid serious consequences in case of infection. Let's start with the correct way to remove an attached insect in a medical facility. Because the procedure itself will be carried out correctly, the wound will be treated, the parasite will be sent for testing and the necessary recommendations will be given regarding subsequent actions.
• But since tick attacks occur outside the city, seeing a doctor is not always possible. In such situations, it is necessary to carry out the procedure correctly and take care of your future health. It is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible; as a rule, in case of bites, the patient is observed by an infectious disease specialist, but you can contact a therapist who will advise further actions. If you managed to save the insect, then you should send it for analysis, as this will help to quickly identify an infection, if any.
• The doctor examines the bite site, treats the wound if necessary, and always gives directions for testing. In addition, the victim is injected with immunoglobulin, which in this case can stop the development of encephalitis infection. But unfortunately, its use does not exclude complete elimination of the infection. It is prohibited to administer immunoglobulin yourself. The fact is that the protein it contains can cause an unpredictable reaction in the body. Therefore, the drug is administered only under the supervision of doctors, and the patient must be observed for 1 hour.

• Since infections transmitted by ticks have a very long incubation period, symptoms manifest themselves differently in everyone. Most often, vivid symptoms appear at the stage when the infection has had time to develop and spread throughout the body, so treatment is prescribed immediately as soon as the victim consults a doctor, without diagnosing the disease. This allows you to avoid complications and irreparable consequences.
• Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic ointments are required during treatment. For swelling and complications on the skin, treatment is prescribed with drugs that relieve dermatological symptoms. In addition, regardless of whether a person suffers from allergies or not, he is prescribed antihistamines.
• Remember that there is simply no single treatment regimen for a tick attack. An examination by a doctor is imperative, which helps to apply the correct treatment in each individual case. Since there are quite a lot of infections that these parasites transmit, it is necessary to know what you have to fight against, only in this way the treatment will be effective and without complications.

What does a tick bite look like?

The tick attaches itself to the body thanks to the hypostome. This process serves as a sensory organ, attachment and blood supply.

The most potential area for a tick to attach to the human body:

• groin area;
• stomach and lower back;
• chest, armpits, cervical region;
• ears.

The classic bite looks like a puncture mark with a small red circle around it.

Let's celebrate! If, after pulling out, a small dot is found in the suction area, then the head did not come out, so it needs to be pulled out. To do this, it is necessary to treat the bite site with alcohol and clean the wound with a disinfected needle. After the head is removed, the wound should be lubricated with iodine.

Is it possible to miss a bite?

It is likely that a person may not notice the bite of this parasite, since its saliva contains an anesthetic substance. But, in any case, unpleasant consequences will make themselves felt.

Symptoms of a tick bite

There is no pain when bitten, since when the skin is pierced, natural antiseptics penetrate into it, which relieve the pain. After the attack, the parasite places its proboscis under the skin to find a blood vessel. The proboscis occupies a position that makes it difficult to pull it out.

Symptoms include:

• weakness;
• shiver;
• joint pain;
• painful eye sensitivity to light;
• elevated temperature;
• low blood pressure;
• tachycardia occurs.

Note! After a few hours, the lymph nodes may become enlarged, the bite site may become red, and itching may occur, which will intensify.

Dangerous signs after a bite

Among the most dangerous are:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• fainting;
• failure of the nerves;
• hallucinations;
• labored breathing.

How are diseases classified?

In fact, the list of diseases that ticks carry is very large; let’s look at the most common ones, and also learn about their classification.

Tick-borne encephalitis

Unfortunately, this disease can appear not only after a parasite bite. The fact is that there are known cases where infection occurred from goat's milk. It is worth clarifying that the infection is active only in the raw product, so it must be consumed in this form very carefully. The disease has an ICD10 code of A84.

The dangerous period for infection occurs in spring and summer, when parasites are most active. Regarding the incubation period, it is 8-20 days for a bite, and 4-7 days for milk. During this period, you need to be as careful as possible and, if you have any symptoms, immediately contact a medical facility.

As stated earlier, the symptoms are similar to the regular flu, but it is important to seek help and use the correct treatment. If you do not identify the disease and do not apply the correct treatment, but take medicine for the flu, then the infection in the body will begin to progress rapidly. The nervous system is affected, and the functioning of the brain is also affected. Unfortunately, the damage occurs too quickly, and the consequences caused by encephalitis are irreversible. This infection is the most dangerous for children.

Lyme disease

In this case, infection occurs with the Borelli bacterium, which is contained in the saliva of the parasite. They multiply very quickly, due to their large numbers, they infect certain parts of the body, and then move on to new ones. ICD10 code –A69.2. This bacterium can remain in the human body for several years in a chronic stage and not show acute outbreaks. It should be said that a person infected with the bacterium is a carrier, but is not contagious to others.

Regarding the bacterium itself, it appears in the tick if it has parasitized the body of a deer, which is the carrier of the disease. If the tick is infected, a rash appears in the bite area; it has a rich red color and clear round contours. The symptoms are no different from those that appear with colds and flu, fever, headaches and joint pain, body weakness and chills.

The danger of the disease is that absolutely all human organs can be affected and organ function can be disrupted. Damage occurs to the heart, blood vessels, internal organs, nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Without timely and correct treatment, complications and human disability are inevitable. During treatment, antibiotics are necessarily used to help suppress the pathogen.

When neurological disorders are noticed, the patient must be hospitalized. Treatment is carried out comprehensively; medications are also used to relieve irritation and rashes on the skin, and medications to restore water-salt balance.

Hemorrhagic fever

These diseases include Omsk and Crimean fever, which are no less dangerous to health. When a virus enters the body, the first symptoms that appear resemble intoxication, supplemented by an acute febrile state. As this infection progresses, it causes changes in blood composition. There are hemorrhages that occur under the skin and parenchymal bleeding.

Antiviral drugs are used in treatment. Vitamins K and P are required, the action of which is aimed at strengthening blood vessels. If a person seeks medical help in time, complications can be avoided and the virus can be effectively defeated.

Ehrlichiosis

In this case, the disease is caused by three types of bacteria at once. It has the code A28.8, in most cases the carriers are ticks. In Russia, it is very rare.

Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis

According to medical indicators, signs of tick-borne encephalitis appear 10-14 days after the bite. Don’t panic; often high fever and muscle pain can be a manifestation of the body’s protective psychological reaction after stress.

The emerging disease goes through the following stages:

1. Groundless and short-term chills, fever. This stage is similar to contracting the flu.
2. Further, the victim may experience nausea, vomiting, and severe headache. All symptoms indicate a gastrointestinal disorder.
3. After a couple of days, a person suddenly develops signs of arthritis or arthrosis. There is no more pain in the head, but there is aches in the body. The patient's movements become very difficult, and breathing difficulties appear. The skin turns red and swells, and ulcers form at the site of the bite.
4. Further, the symptoms only worsen, as the infection enters the circulatory system and begins to destroy. Delayed treatment can lead to death.

Symptoms of Borreliosis

Borreliosis occurs after a bite from an infected tick. The infection progresses in stages, affecting the joints, nervous system, and in rare cases the heart. It can be completely cured if treatment is started on time.

Symptoms of Borreliosis:

• elevated temperature;
• shiver;
• headache;
• pain in the body, joints, muscles;
• weakness;
• drowsiness;
• malaise;
• enlargement of regional lymph nodes;
• itching;
• conjunctivitis;
• in some situations, signs of meningitis will appear.

Let's celebrate! If you experience symptoms of this disease, you should immediately contact a qualified doctor.

Manifestation of hemorrhagic fever

Hemorrhagic fever has the following stages, which occur sequentially:

• incubation lasts a couple of days and is not expressed in any way;
• the prodromal stage is expressed by nonspecific signs of intoxication;
• the height of the disease - the appearance of characteristic clinical symptoms of the disease;
• cure.

Note! At the onset of the disease, patients experience symptoms of intoxication: chills, fever, confusion, delirium, hallucinations, hypotension, arrhythmia.

Help with a tick bite

As soon as this parasite is noticed on the body, it must be removed immediately.

There is no need to resort to traditional methods and drip something that is not a mite. Of course, he will suffocate from these actions, but there is a high risk that he will have time to throw a lot of saliva into the blood and along with it infected microorganisms. The parasite must be removed carefully to remove it entirely.

How to properly remove a pest?

To properly remove a tick, you must proceed in the following sequence:

1. To remove the pest, you can use special tongs. They can be purchased at the pharmacy. You should hold the ends of the forceps closer to the head of the tick and remove it with small rocking movements. The body is pulled out perpendicularly.
2. Thread can replace tongs. You need to form a loop from it and throw it over the head of the parasite. You need to do everything the same way as with forceps.
3. You can remove it with a syringe. The tip is cut off and the resulting round hole must be attached to the tick so that it is entirely contained in it. Then you need to pull the piston, and due to the formation of a vacuum, the parasite comes out.
4. After removal, the wound should be washed with soapy water and treated with an antiseptic. The tick should be placed in a glass jar with a tightly closed lid and taken to the laboratory to detect infection.

Rules for removing a tick

To remove a parasite from the body of a person or animal while ensuring safety for their health, it is necessary:

1. Put gloves on your hands, or wrap your fingers with a bandage, scarf, or rag;
2. Take a device for removing ticks (tweezers, twister, thread) and grab the parasite where it is embedded in the skin;
3. By turning the insect around its axis counterclockwise, carefully remove it from the wound;
4. Wash the bite site with an antiseptic;
5. The parasite should be placed in a jar and taken for analysis to the nearest laboratory.

It is strictly forbidden to touch or remove the parasite with bare hands, otherwise there is a high risk of infection. Also, do not jerk and pull it sharply and use any fat so that it comes out on its own. The insect will suffocate and spray a large amount of blood into the victim's body, thereby increasing the likelihood of contracting an infectious disease.

After removing the parasite, you should wash your hands well with soap and treat them with an antiseptic. If the head of the bloodsucker remains in the body, it must be removed, since the poison is located in the salivary glands of the ticks. They usually take it out of the wound with a thin needle, slightly prying it up. The victim must go to a medical facility to be tested for the presence of viral infections in the blood. When removing a tick from a child, you need to be extremely careful, and it is better to immediately go to a medical center, where they will immediately provide professional help. If this is not possible, you need to ask for the help of another person in order to hold the child. After removing the parasite, it is important to monitor the child’s condition for about three weeks - measure body temperature, check the site of the bite. If you feel worse, you should consult a doctor.

Consequences of an insect bite

A tick bite can cause various diseases. If this is ignored, serious complications are likely.

The following consequences of tick-borne infections have a chance of appearing:

• encephalitis, encephalomyelitis, epilepsy, hyperkinesis, headaches, paresis, paralysis;
• arthralgia and arthritis;
• anemia and changes in blood pressure;
• pneumonia;
• nephritis, glomerulonephritis;
• digestive problems.

Let's celebrate! In severe forms of these infections, loss of capacity, decreased ability to work, epileptic attacks and the appearance of dementia are likely.

Designations in the classifier

We propose to analyze in detail the principle of making a diagnosis of a tick bite according to the main designations of the classifier:

1. Class I , means that the disease is classified in the first category called “Parasitic and infectious diseases”.
2. Section , Pediculosis, acariasis and other infestations.
3. In , Other infestations.
4. B8 , Other specified infestations.
5. B88.9 , Infestation unspecified. Infestation with ticks, not otherwise specified.

Once you understand the basic principles of the distribution of classes and headings in ICD-10, making a diagnosis does not pose any particular difficulties.

We hope our article helped you understand the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and the first symptoms of a tick bite. Remember that the main measure to prevent insect bites is the correct form of clothing, which does not allow blood-sucking arthropods to approach bare skin. Take care of yourself!

How to avoid tick bites?

There are certain preventive measures that will help avoid tick bites:

1. You can get vaccinated before the bite, since after infection the vaccine does not inject. It is mandatory to do it for those people who live in disadvantaged areas or whose profession is related to the forest.
2. If a person plans to spend time in the forest, then he should dress appropriately. Clothes should have long sleeves, legs should also be as covered as possible, and the head should be covered. It is practical to use thermal underwear; it fits well to the body, and the parasite will not be able to crawl.
3. While in the forest, it is better to have with you all the necessary things that may be useful in case of a bite.
4. In the forest, it is better to move along the center of the ladder; you should avoid tall grass and bushes.

Recently, the number of ticks has been increasing. For this reason, many people refuse to relax in nature.

Note! Ticks are carriers of many serious diseases. They can have a detrimental effect on the health of people and animals. But despite this, there is no need to be afraid of them. It is necessary to know the means of protection against ticks, to be able to provide assistance to an injured person and to distinguish the signs of dangerous diseases.

Basic provisions of the International Classification of Diseases

International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is a generally accepted normative document that reflects the statistical classification of diseases. Used for the purpose of unifying teaching aids and comparability of medical materials. Leading medical specialists from around the world, including Russia, took part in the development.

The location for revisions of the ICD is the headquarters in Geneva. All participants are active members of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Historical reference. Attempts to systematize all diseases were made back in the 18th century in France. However, at that time the classification was based on the causes of mortality in the population. Subsequently, it was supplemented and revised every ten years.

Full name ICD-10, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision. It was adopted for use in Russia in 1993.

The convenience of this classification when transferring medical data is noted, while maintaining the confidentiality of patient information to a certain extent.

The complete original collection of ICD-10 in printed form consists of three volumes:

• Volume 1. Special lists of statistical development. Has two parts.
• Volume 2. Collection of instructions on the application and use of the classification.
• Volume 3. Alphabetical index to classification.

The printed version in Russian is presented in the form of a two-volume book.

The principle of constructing a modern classification is based on the use of alphanumeric coding. Statistical data is combined into groups:

• epidemiological diseases,
• general diseases,
• local diseases, taking into account anatomical areas,
• developmental pathologies,
• injuries.

For simplicity, a four-level hierarchical structure is used:

1. Classes. There are 21 of them in total. They are presented in the form of letters of the Latin alphabet, taking into account the digital range from 0 to 99.
2. Blocks. Mostly homogeneous, denoted by a capital Latin letter and a digital range.
3. Three-digit rubrics. Indicate what type of disease it is.
4. Four-character headings. Specify the disease for a three-digit rubric. In this case, the number after the period is used.

To read: Symptoms and treatment of tick-borne borreliosis