A tick bite can be caught when you are outdoors. The ticks live primarily in tall grass and from there like to settle on people walking by. It is particularly easy for them when affected people show up with bare skin (for example with short pants). The tick bites into the skin with its mouthpiece and begins to suck blood. This process can take a few hours.
The tick bite itself is usually painless at first and therefore often goes unnoticed. However, it can become painful if pathogens are transmitted to humans when the tick bites. The most important diseases that are transmitted by ticks in Germany are early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE, meningitis) and borreliosis.
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Pain after a tick bite can be due to various causes. The tick bite itself is usually painless and therefore often goes unnoticed. The bite only becomes painful when local inflammation occurs or pathogens are transmitted from the tick to humans. Local inflammatory reactions can also follow a tick bite, in which there is no transmission of germs. In this case, the typical signs of inflammation appear at the bite site: redness, swelling, overheating and pain. These symptoms usually go away within a few days. The longer the tick sucks on, the more pronounced these signs of inflammation are.
If, on the other hand, pathogens such as Borrelia (bacteria) or TBE viruses are transmitted, more pronounced pain can occur after the tick bite. Borrelia infection can also be accompanied by what is known as wandering redness. It is not uncommon for the infection with the bacteria to be completely asymptomatic. In rare cases, Lyme disease develops over time, which is accompanied by skin changes, nerve pain, joint problems and brain damage. When infected with TBE viruses, there are no symptoms in 90% of cases, and flu-like symptoms with headaches, muscle pain and pain in the limbs rarely occur. The TBE virus can also cause brain damage.
Read more about Lyme disease and TBE at: What can be the consequences of a tick bite?
When diagnosing a tick bite, the anamnesis (questioning the patient) plays an important role. Risk factors (exposure to ticks, staying in tick-rich areas) and a remembered tick bite can be identified. This is followed by an examination of the bite site, as local signs of inflammation or reddening can occur there.
Laboratory tests are done to determine if there is an infection. Antibodies against TBE and Borrelia can be found in the blood. In order to exclude an infection of the brain by the pathogen, a puncture of the liquor (brain water) can be done. In this one tries to detect the pathogen.
The accompanying symptoms of a tick bite are usually only local complaints. On the other hand, infection with Borrelia or TBE can cause further symptoms.
In the case of Borrelia infection, wandering redness typically occurs, accompanied by headache and body aches, fever and fatigue. If the bacteria spread throughout the body, the central nervous system can also be affected, causing nerve pain and signs of encephalitis. See also: Symptoms of borreliosis
Even when infected with the TBE virus, unspecific symptoms that are similar to flu occur initially.
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$config[ads_text3] not foundItching is not a very typical symptom of tick bites. Rather, the tick bites usually go unnoticed and are only discovered when the body is searched specifically for ticks. The local inflammatory reaction occasionally causes itching in the area of the bite site. If itching occurs after staying in an area with many ticks, the body should be thoroughly checked for ticks. These tend to get stuck in warm skin folds such as under the armpits or in the groin.
Read more on the subject at: Tick bite itches - is that normal?
Wandering redness (also known as erythema migrans) is a symptom that can occur after a tick bite with a Borrelia infection. This skin change develops in around half of the people who come into contact with the pathogen. A few days to weeks after the actual tick bite, a circular reddening appears around the bite. This spreads over time and develops a pale in the middle. There is seldom pain, and itching occasionally occurs. The longer the tick sticks, the more likely it is that Borrelia will be transmitted.
Read more on the subject below: Rash after a tick bite
Anyone who discovers a tick bite can initially treat it carefully themselves. The most important thing is to remove the tick quickly and carefully using special tweezers or a tick card. It is important to completely remove the tick without leaving the head or the biting tool in the body. If this does not succeed or if the tick is crushed, you should consult a doctor. Even if redness develops after the tick bite (especially wandering redness), you should see a doctor. Other symptoms such as flu-like symptoms a few days after a tick bite should also be clarified at a doctor's visit.
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Therapy for a tick bite initially consists of carefully removing the tick. There are specially developed tweezers or tick cards with which even a layperson can remove the tick. In most cases, observation of the bite site is then sufficient. If there are local complaints, the area can be cooled. If reddening or wandering reddening occurs after a tick bite, a doctor should be consulted who can determine or rule out an infection with Borrelia or TBE.
Borrelia infection is usually treated with an antibiotic (doxycycline). As a rule, this leads to the disease healing without consequences, without the pathogens being able to spread in the body.
TBE disease can most effectively be through a vaccination (see also: Vaccination against TBE) should be avoided. This vaccination is recommended for all people in endemic areas (in Germany especially in the southern federal states) who are occasionally or frequently outdoors. If there is an infection with the TBE virus, treatment can only be symptomatic. It consists of therapy with antipyretic and pain reliever agents.
A tick bite that occurs without the transmission of pathogens usually subsides after a few days. An infection with Borrelia or TBE runs in most cases without complications and is healed after a few days to weeks. If there are complications and an infection of the central nervous system, serious consequential damage can rarely occur.
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