Tick pills for people: diagnosis and treatment of the consequences of a dangerous parasite attack
With the beginning of spring, ticks are activated - dangerous parasites, the bite of which can turn into very unpleasant consequences. Many people know that bloodsuckers carry such serious diseases as encephalitis and borreliosis. To avoid infection with infections, you should figure out in advance how to act and which medicine is most effective for a tick bite.
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Why are tick bites dangerous?
The tick bite itself is no more dangerous than the bite of any other blood-sucking insect. But the insidiousness of the parasite lies in its ability to carry tick-borne infections, which cause the development of serious diseases - encephalitis, Lyme disease and others. As a rule, these diseases are severe, require long-term treatment and, in severe cases, cause disability of a person.
What happens during a tick bite
During a bite, the tick pierces the skin of the victim, is fixed with special teeth and inserts a proboscis into the wound.
At the moment of suction, the saliva of the pest, which contains viruses, enters the bloodstream of the bitten.
The longer the tick drinks blood, the higher the chance of infection.
Medicines for tick bites
There are no specific medicines to treat tick-borne infections. In addition, it is impossible to reliably determine whether a person became infected immediately after the attack of the bloodsucker. The extracted tick can be taken for analysis, but even if it turns out that it is a carrier of the infection, this does not mean that the victim will get sick. Doctors often prescribe prophylactic treatment, and medications are always used if, after a pest bite, the victim develops symptoms of infection.
Medicine after a tick bite: antibiotics
For the treatment of victims of the bite of a bloodsucker, amoxicillin or doxycycline is most often used. Antibiotics do not work against encephalitis, but are effective against borrelia, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. It is advisable to carry out emergency prophylaxis only in the first 72 hours after the bite.
Antiviral drugs for tick bites
The views of experts on the advisability of taking antiviral agents after a tick bite diverge. Some doctors prescribe emergency prophylaxis with rimantadine or iodantipyrine.
Iodantipyrine
As mentioned above, iodantipyrine is used as antiviral therapy. The tool was previously used as an isotope label for the study of body fluids. Currently, the drug is positioned as a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory and antiviral agent.
Composition
Active substance: iodophenazone 100 mg; excipients: potato starch, dextrose, magnesium stearate.
pharmachologic effect
The value of the drug lies in its action against tick-borne encephalitis. In addition, iodantipyrin has interferonogenic, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulatory effects.
Показания
The indication for taking the drug is the treatment and prevention of tick-borne encephalitis.
Противопоказания
The drug is contraindicated in patients with hyperthyroidism, as well as people who are sensitive to the components of the drug.
Dosing and Administration
The optimal dosage regimen of the drug is selected by the doctor.
The most commonly prescribed reception is as follows: for the treatment of tick-borne encephalitis: in the first 2 days after the bite, 0,3 g / 3 times a day, on the 3rd and 4th day, 0,2 g / 3 times a day day, on the 5th and subsequent days, 0,1 g / 3 times a day.
For prophylactic purposes, the drug is usually used in the same way. Tablets are taken only after meals.
Side effects
In some cases, after taking jodantipyrine, allergic reactions, nausea, and swelling occur.
Treatment of diseases caused by a bite
Treatment of diseases caused by tick-borne infections will be much more successful if it is started immediately after the onset of alarming symptoms. Timely therapy will help to avoid complications and give a chance for a full recovery.
Tick-borne encephalitis
The incubation period for tick-borne encephalitis ranges from 2 to 28 days. Most often, clinical manifestations occur 7-14 days after the bite.
Most often, the disease occurs in 2 stages. In the first stage, the symptoms are nonspecific: fever, fever, headache and muscle pain, photophobia.
Manifestations go with symptoms of SARS, so the patient does not always seek medical help in a timely manner. The first phase of encephalitis lasts from 2 to 7 days, after which a supposed “recovery” occurs - the patient feels well, the symptoms disappear.
This stage can last from 1 to 21 days, after which the second phase of the disease begins, which has more severe symptoms. Most patients develop meningitis and meningoencephalitis during this period.
Manifestations of the second phase of encephalitis: headache, mainly in the occipital region, neck stiffness, photophobia, nausea, vomiting and fever. In severe cases, paralysis, paresis, impaired consciousness up to coma, personality disorders occur.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of "tick-borne encephalitis" is confirmed by symptoms of meningitis/meningoencephalitis, the presence of specific IgM and IgG antibodies to the blood, and an increase in the number of cerebrospinal fluid cells.
Treatment of tick-borne encephalitis
Currently, there are no specific methods for the treatment of tick-borne encephalitis, therapy is symptomatic. Treatment takes place in a hospital and depends on the severity of the patient's condition and the signs of the disease.
Painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretics, antiviral and antiemetics are used as therapy. Also used drugs to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance and, if necessary, anticonvulsants.
Lyme disease clinic
After 3-8 weeks, the primary symptoms disappear and the person feels relatively healthy, but the disease progresses. There are disturbances in the work of internal organs and systems: the liver, kidneys, nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Doctors distinguish 3 stages of borreliosis.
Each of them has specific symptoms and severity, often between the stages of the disease there are periods when the patient feels well, which greatly complicates the diagnosis. Symptoms of stage 1 Lyme disease:
- erythema migrans, skin rash;
- fever, fever;
- headache and muscle pain;
- deterioration in general well-being, fatigue;
- nausea and vomiting;
- photophobia.
The second stage lasts from 1 to 3 months. During this period, bacteria actively spread throughout the body and affect the internal organs. Symptoms of stage 2 Lyme disease:
- intense throbbing headache;
- violation of the sensitivity of the limbs;
- emotional lability, irritability;
- peripheral radiculopathy;
- palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain;
- cranial nerve paralysis.
The third stage of borreliosis develops in 6-24 months. Most often, the disease is diagnosed and successfully treated at an earlier stage. At the 3rd stage, the damage to internal organs is irreversible, severe autoimmune disorders are observed. Symptoms:
- cognitive disorders;
- meningitis;
- epileptic seizures, psychosis;
- arthritis, painful muscle spasms;
- skin atrophy.
Lyme Disease Diagnosis
At the first stage, the main sign of infection is the occurrence of erythema and symptoms similar to SARS. For the final diagnosis, the following laboratory methods are used:
- PCR research;
- linked immunosorbent assay;
- microscopic examination to detect borrelia.
Lyme disease treatment
Treatment of borreliosis is aimed at destroying bacteria in the patient's body and maintaining the functioning of internal organs. Most often, patients require hospitalization with an infectious diseases department.
At the first stage, Lyme disease is successfully treated with antibiotics of the tetracycline group; if neurological and cardiac disorders occur, penicillins and cephalosporins are prescribed.
In parallel, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, physiotherapy and, if necessary, detoxification therapy are used.
Prevention
Tick-borne infections pose a serious threat to human health and life. To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended to use a set of preventive measures:
- Vaccination. Currently, there is only a vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis. This method of prevention has been used for several decades and has managed to show its effectiveness. You can get vaccinated free of charge at the clinic at the place of residence.
- For a walk in the forest zone, you should choose special protective clothing: it is desirable that it be of a light shade, outerwear should be tucked into trousers, and trousers into socks and boots. Be sure to wear hats and a hood.
- Be sure to use special preparations to repel and destroy ticks - chemical repellents and acaricides;
- During the walk, body and clothing inspections should be carried out every 30 minutes.