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Tick ​​time: How to protect yourself against TBE and Lyme disease

2021-06-21T00:22:50.359Z


As soon as it gets warm, the tick season starts in Germany. The arachnids transmit diseases that can be fatal in the worst case. How to protect yourself properly.


As soon as it gets warm, the tick season starts in Germany.

The arachnids transmit diseases that can be fatal in the worst case.

How to protect yourself properly.

If the temperature in spring is more than seven degrees Celsius for three consecutive days, ticks wake up from their hibernation.

Then the tick season begins, which only ends again in October with colder temperatures.

The actually harmless crawlers transmit dangerous diseases such as

early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE) or borreliosis

.

While Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics if it is detected early, TBE cannot be cured.

The viral disease often triggers meningitis or encephalitis, which in the worst case can be fatal.

The only reliable protection is a vaccination.

Also read

: Tick time: Can I be vaccinated against TBE directly after the corona vaccination

?

How to protect yourself against TBE and Lyme disease from tick bites

The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) advises people who live in TBE risk areas or who are on vacation to have a

vaccination

.

The risk areas include large parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg as well as parts of Hesse, Thuringia and Saxony.

Individual TBE risk areas are also located in Saxony-Anhalt, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate.

The statutory health insurance pays the costs for the TBE vaccination.

The basic vaccination consists of three vaccinations that are given every three to twelve months.

Later, you should have your immunization boosted every three to five years.

You can also protect yourself against tick bites with the following tips:

  • Wear long sleeves and pants when you are outdoors.

    It is best to tuck your trouser legs into your socks.

    In this way you make it more difficult for the beasts to access your skin.

  • Wear light colored clothes.

    The dark ticks are easy to spot on it.

    At best, you can remove the arachnids before they have clung to your skin.

  • Stay on established trails in the forest and avoid tall grass and bushes.

    You should also keep an eye out for ticks in your own garden and look for them all over your body.

  • Apply an anti-bug spray.

    This will keep the ticks off your body at least for a certain period of time.

    If you want to go for the natural variant, you can use numerous home remedies.

  • Take a shower after spending time in nature.

    The water does not kill ticks that have already attached themselves, but it can remove the animals that are still crawling on the skin.

  • Wash your worn clothes at 60 degrees Celsius to kill possible arachnids.

  • You should also regularly check your pets for ticks.

    Dogs and cats can bring the bloodsuckers into the house from outside.

+

Ticks are now in high season - but how do you protect yourself against TBE and Lyme disease?

© Imago

A tick stung them - you can do that now

If a tick has already bitten into your skin, remove it as soon as possible. The longer the tick hangs on, the greater the likelihood that

viruses or bacteria

can spread. It is best to use tick tongs, grab the animal as close as possible and pull carefully. When doing this, you should not turn the pliers, otherwise the tick could lose its head, which is then still attached to your skin.

Now keep an eye on the affected area.

If

a red circle forms around the puncture site

,

see

a doctor.

This is a Lyme disease symptom.

Fever, fatigue and headache can also be symptoms.

If the disease is detected early, the bacterial infection can usually be brought under control with antibiotics.

At a later point in time, the spiral-shaped bacteria can attack the nervous system, tissues and internal organs.

Facial paralysis, meningitis or joint inflammation, and heart problems can occur.

(cw)

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Watch out: these are the eight most common misconceptions about ticks

Watch out: these are the eight most common misconceptions about ticks

List of rubric lists: © Imago

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2021-06-21

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