With tick populations on the rise across the country, and as a dog owner (like many of you!) I figured it was both appropriate and necessary to host a brief discussion about ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Now, as a child of the ’90s, I can safely say that ticks were not even on the radar during my childhood. I grew up with a golden retriever and a couple of kitties, and while I do not know if flea and tick prevention was in use, I do know I don’t remember one single comment about ticks or ever witnessing a tick removal- from a pet, friend, family or neighbor. We could lie in (untreated) grass, go (tent) camping for weekends, spend time at our family cabin in the woods, or walk in little streams with wooded and grassy surroundings. Never did we worry about ticks. Fast forward to today, and I can’t walk my dog down a neighborhood sidewalk without concern. The ticks are seemingly everywhere these days. Where did they come from? We don’t really know… and we will save that discussion for another (private) time, but what I want to talk about today is why the increase in population matters and what we can do about it rather than becoming filled with fear and avoiding the outdoors.
So, let’s start with the obvious. Why are people so fearful of ticks? They’re just tiny insects, right? Well, actually no. Ticks are technically not insects. These 8-legged pests are actually arachnids, making them more closely related to a spider, scorpion, or mite than a 6-legged insect. There are over 900 known species of ticks, which can be grouped into two main families- hard (Ixodidae) and soft (Argasidae)- and all of them are obligate feeders, meaning they require a blood meal for their life cycles (4 stages of a tick’s life: egg, larvae, nymph, adult) and survival. Therefore, by definition, ticks are parasites, and they can and do transmit infections and diseases (though not every bite will result in this!). Tick-borne illnesses may be due to bacterial, viral, or parasitic transmissions; however, reactions can also result from allergic reactions to the tick bite (like in cases of Alpha-gal) and saliva toxins themselves. The most commonly known bacterial transmission is Lyme disease, from the Borrelia bacterium, but this isn’t the only infection that can result from a tick bite. Other lesser-known tick-borne illnesses include those from Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia (responsible for Rocky Mountain spotted fever). Other diseases that may result from a tick bite include: Pacific Coast tick fever, Tularemia, STARI (Southern tick-associated rash illness), and tick-borne relapsing fever. In addition to these are viral infections like Powassan virus, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, Colorado tick fever virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. It should also be noted that there is no specific safe window of time for any transmission of any pathogen. Tick-borne diseases can be transmitted rather quickly after the tick has latched. However, the longer the tick is attached, the greater the risk of infection. Sounds serious, and it can be…
This is why the foundations of health are so important. The weaker your system at the time of the tick bite occurring, the greater the risk of infection. This doesn’t mean that a healthy person can’t get sick from tick-borne illnesses, but a healthy body will present stronger defenses during the time of attack. The less attention your immune system has on other “fires” within the system, the better it will be at “holding the line” when invaders come kicking through the immune system’s door. So let this be a lesson in treating your body with the respect it deserves and requires, to work hard in your favor.
Education and awareness will carry you a long way when it comes to prevention of tick bites, as well as what to do when a bite occurs and how to take care of it after the tick is removed. Although a tick needs a host for survival and reproduction, the tick actually spends about 95% of its life off a host. Meaning, the first thing you need to know in prevention and protection from ticks is about their habitat. How do they find a host? Where do ticks live? What kind of temperatures and environments do they thrive in? The next time you are out walking or hiking in a wooded or tall grassy area, slow down and notice along the trail; if you look closely, you are likely to notice at least one tick waving its legs around (an act called “questing”) and just waiting for you or another animal to brush up against. And while ticks do not jump, like fleas, or fall from trees above, they can use static electricity as a means of traveling through the air on electrical currents; this makes it appear as if they are jumping, flying, or falling. Other ticks (like the lone star tick) are actually hunters. They venture out in search of a host, sensing them through smell and vibrations.
The most common habitats for tick populations will be in tall grasses, bushy and brushy areas of foliage, leaf litter, edges of trails and sidewalks, in backyards, gardens, parks, and recently, they are even common to find in more populated suburban areas. Ticks also prefer moist, humid climates, this is why it’s common to see an uptick (pun intended…!) in populations during the spring and fall months. If you have a particularly dry, hot summer, you will likely notice a decrease in tick activity for a short window of time. If you live in an area of the globe where winter blankets the ground in snow and ice, then you probably have a few months during the year to let your guard down… a little. Generally, ticks are not as active during the freeze months, and historically, a good deep freeze will kill them. But I do think it’s important to note that as our environments evolve and climates fluctuate, so will the nature and life cycles of everything that lives in that area. So, just because it is normal for ticks to die off with freezing temperatures, it is not obsolete. I have found and removed ticks from my dog in January and February here in Michigan, so a deep freeze doesn’t always mean “no ticks”. Once winter temperatures rise above freezing, ticks begin their cycle of life all over again.
If you’re finding yourself not wanting to enjoy the outdoors because of the risk of getting a tick bite, I want to encourage you to take preventative measures and GET OUTSIDE! It is so important to explore your environment and develop a relationship with nature that breeds life and connectedness to all living things that this beautiful planet has to offer. Yes, there is risk, but there is also great reward in health and spirit when you reconnect- this is the invisible energetic “mycelium” network of life that connects us to all that is living. After all, you are nature, and it is not okay to remain indoors or to deny yourself the gifts of life, and when we respect nature, it is likely that nature will respect us right back. To prevent ticks from latching on, take preventative measures like wearing long sleeves and long pants while out in nature. Wear socks over your pants and boots over your socks; no open-toe shoes! Consider wearing a hat to protect your scalp, and wear long hair tied up and back to prevent brushing against any kind of plant matter from which a tick may be questing. Choose light colored clothing versus dark colors so that you are more able to spot a tick crawling, and the smoother and less textured the fabrics, the harder it will be for a tick to grip to you. Once you get home, remove all clothing and put everything in the dryer on high heat to kill any ticks that may be on the clothing. Take a shower and do a thorough whole-body tick check. Be sure to check your pets regularly!
Tick repellents can also be useful, but if you’re like me, you may not want to use harsh chemical sprays on your clothes and body. Chemicals like permethrin (very effective, but clothing needs to be dry before wearing) and DEET can be sprayed on the clothing. Picaridin (naturally derived from black pepper) and IR3535 (naturally derived from an amino acid called beta alanine). There are also certain essential oil combinations that can help to deter ticks as well.
None of these measures are guaranteed to prevent a tick from attaching and biting. You should also know how to remove a tick safely and gently. Of course, if you’ve never had to do this, then in the event you do find yourself in a situation where you need to remove a tick from yourself or someone else, just do your best to remain calm. I would suggest having specific tick-removing tools on hand. You can purchase a “tick key”, fine-tip tweezers, or my personal favorite, the “tick twister”. Some people will say “don’t twist” while removing a tick, but if you’re twisting without pulling up and out, you can very easily and safely remove a tick entirely. The risk is in leaving behind the attached mouth parts that are burrowed beneath the skin. Be sure to remove the whole tick in one piece. Once the tick is removed, you should wash the area and apply colloidal silver and lavender essential oil to the bite site. Keep an eye on it for the following days and watch for signs of possible infection, both locally at the bite site as well as how you feel internally. Symptoms could range from nothing at all to fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, body/joint/neck pain, and the classic bullseye rash. Early treatment is most effective in preventing these pathogens from burrowing deeper into your body and cells. Antibiotics are the most common treatment, however not always the most effective. Powerful herbs like Japanese Knotweed root, Teasel root, Cryptolepis root, Cat’s Claw bark, Baikal Skullcap root, and others, in combination, can aid the immune system in combating tick-borne illnesses, sometimes better than antibiotics.
If you’ve been recently bitten by a tick, you should first see your MD and discuss their options and recommendations for treatment. And if you have already gone the antibiotics route and are still fighting tick-borne illness symptoms without success, even the CDC says that more antibiotics are unlikely to help. You can read what they have to say here.
Why not try something different? Give our office a call and book yourself a free discovery call consultation and learn how the 7 Step Blueprint to Optimal Health can work for you. You may be just a few herbs away from feeling like yourself again. Give our office a call at 734.302.7575.
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