The ticks that cause Lyme disease are found in Asia, the United States, and northwestern, central, and eastern Europe. In the United States alone, the CDC, Center for Disease Prevention and Control detects 300,000 diagnosed cases each year. According to this body, "high risk" areas have been increasing significantly in recent years. Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, often found on deer and mice. It spreads among humans through the bites of ticks found on these animals, called black-legged ticks, which feed on the blood of deer. It is not a contagious disease, but it can lead to serious complications if left untreated. If you know how to avoid tick bites or know first-aid measures to treat them with appropriate medications and antibiotics, you can keep your baby away from these parasites or make him heal faster.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Protect It From Ticks
Step 1. Avoid areas where ticks live
They are very small parasites and it is not easy to see them. Nymphs (insects in the immature stage) are as large as poppy seeds, while adult specimens are the size of sesame seeds. They are really small insects, it is almost always impossible to see them until they stick to the skin; if you want to avoid the infestation, you don't have to go to the areas where they live. Generally, they are present in the same habitat, no matter where in the world they are; they prefer shady and wooded areas with many bushes and leafy plants. Rotten leaves, tall grass, piles of wood and stone walls provide a safe and secure place where these pests love to live.
- Ticks can safely wait in these places until they come into contact with some animal or person.
- They are not present only in wooded areas. They can hide in your yard as well, especially if there are tall grass, shrubs, bushes, or other shady places.
Step 2. Find out what time of year they tend to bite more easily
It is extremely important to know the season of maximum risk, the period in which these infected parasites can proliferate. It is easiest to find them in spring and summer (May to September in the northern hemisphere). This information can be useful to you so that you are prepared to deal with them.
For example, if you are planning a camping trip or a picnic during "risk season", you can take extra precautions to avoid getting bitten
Step 3. Cover your child properly
When you go out with your baby and you know you are going to an area where ticks are present, you both need to wear long pants for walking in grass and wooded areas. If possible, you should insert the bottoms of your pants into your socks, as most ticks bite right in the ankle and calf area.
- You should also wear long-sleeved shirts, gloves and a hat.
- In this way, you are sure that the entire surface of the body is well covered and the ticks cannot reach the skin. Do not forget to tuck the bottom of the pants into the socks, so that ticks can't bite your baby's legs.
- Wear light-colored clothing. If the ticks land on a light surface, you can see them more easily.
Step 4. Apply insect repellent
Spray it on the baby's skin when in an infested or potentially infested area. The product should contain at least 20% DEET, the active chemical agent capable of warding off ticks and other insects. When you apply it to the baby's skin, be careful not to hit the eyes, mouth and hands. Repeat the treatment every 2-5 hours, depending on the product you have chosen.
- You must prevent the chemical from being ingested, as it is a toxic substance. Follow the instructions on the package very scrupulously.
- You can apply permethrin-based insecticides to clothing. Optionally, you can also buy clothing already treated with this substance. Permethrin is a chemical repellent available in drugstores; kills ticks and insects on simple contact. Be careful though, as it can only be applied to clothing and not skin. Carefully follow the directions described on the package; if in doubt, ask your doctor for the correct way to apply it.
- If you prefer to use a natural product, citrated eucalyptus oil is a repellent that comes from the eucalyptus tree; it has a distinctive unpleasant odor for mosquitoes and other insects. Generally, it is available in drugstores and health food stores.
- Other essential oils, such as lemongrass, cedar, or eucalyptus, have not been shown to be very effective against ticks.
Step 5. Invite the child to stay on the marked path
To avoid Lyme disease, you must first avoid ticks. You must make sure that your child stays along the path and does not walk in areas where the grass is tall or there are brushwood because, as already mentioned, these are the areas where ticks are most present.
Step 6. Keep the garden clean
Free it from all junk to make it a tick-hostile environment. Clean it at least once a year by removing the leaves and pruning the bushes, because they are the preferred environments for these dangerous pests. Regularly mow the grass, remove dead, fallen, rotting leaves and keep all piles of wood raised off the ground so that ticks cannot settle there.
- If you live near a wood and want extra protection, create a meter-wide barrier using mulch, gravel or wood chips between the garden and the surrounding wood to avoid a tick infestation.
- You can also purchase specific chemicals to keep their presence in your garden at bay. There are several types on the market that are intended to kill ticks and other similar insects. Use them only in the way indicated on the package, because they contain harsh chemicals that can be dangerous for you, your family and your pets, if you do not strictly follow the instructions for use.
- Those called "acaricides" keep ticks out of your yard. You should call a professional exterminator who is licensed to apply insecticide to infested areas twice a year. It is not a treatment that you can do alone.
Step 7. Keep deer away from home
These animals are the main source of food for adult black-legged ticks. By keeping deer away from your yard, you greatly reduce the risk of Lyme disease, precisely because ticks do not enter your property. A good way to keep deer away is to remove the plants that attract them (especially clovers and peas).
You can also build a physical barrier, such as a fence
Part 2 of 5: Check the Child for Ticks
Step 1. Examine the baby's skin right away
You must inspect it as soon as it returns home after an activity carried out in an environment where it may have come in contact with these parasites. Check your entire body for any ticks that have stuck to the skin. Pay more attention to those parts that are usually bitten most often, under the arms, in the ears, inside the navel, behind the knees, between the legs, on the head, all around the hairline and waist.
You can also use a manual mirror to examine areas that would otherwise be difficult to inspect
Step 2. Take a shower as soon as possible
After the physical checkup, you need to invite him to take a shower right away. Typically, ticks stay on the skin for some time before latching on more firmly. The shower therefore allows you to get rid of them before they can bite and fix themselves on the skin, thus preventing the risk of contracting Lyme disease.
- Ticks also attach themselves to the skin of animals; if you go for a walk with your dog in tall grass or bushy areas, then you should also wash him with warm water as soon as you get home.
- Deer ticks typically do not survive more than 24 hours without feeding, although those that remain on damp clothing can live for up to 2-3 days.
Step 3. Wash your clothes
At the end of a walk or a camping holiday, you need to wash the clothes of the whole family to get rid of any ticks left on the fabrics. Set the wash cycle to maximum temperature and use detergent.
This way, you can be sure that ticks detach from clothing and die during the wash
Step 4. Inspect the baby once more
Even if you have followed all necessary precautions, remember that ticks are small and may have hidden during the first check. They can stick to the skin if they have been left for long enough and have not been showered off. Since they hide quite easily, it's a good idea to do a second visual check.
Part 3 of 5: Remove a tick
Step 1. Know how your risk increases
The longer the tick sticks to the baby's skin, the more likely they are to get Lyme disease. You must remove any visible parasites from the skin. If you can get rid of it within 24 hours of attacking, your risk of getting sick is reduced.
Step 2. Disinfect the skin around the bite area
Use rubbing alcohol and rub everything around where the tick has attached itself.
Also sterilize tweezers always wetting them with alcohol
Step 3. Use a fine tip for this purpose
Take the tweezers and gently grab the tick as close to your baby's skin as possible. This way, you are sure to take off your head and mouth as well. Carefully, then pull up and away from the skin in one steady motion. Do not twist or pull sharply; if you pull too quickly, you may detach the body, leaving the head and mouth under the skin.
- Do not squeeze or squeeze the insect, to prevent the toxic fluid in its abdomen from entering the baby's blood system.
- Do not use petroleum jelly or any other gelatinous product in an attempt to eliminate the tick or to try to kill it. These methods cause the parasite to enter even deeper and cause it to release saliva, increasing the risk of contracting Lyme disease. They are not effective remedies.
- If you find that some part of the tick's body is left in the skin after you have extracted the parasite, don't worry, because the amputated part cannot survive; over time it will be expelled from the body, as if it were a splinter.
Step 4. Put the parasite in a bag
Once extracted, you don't have to throw it away but put it in a sealable container. You must give the tick to your doctor so that he can have it examined to determine whether or not it is a carrier of Lyme disease.
Although this is an important concern, it is not essential. So, don't worry if you can't keep the parasite out. It is certainly not a priority, as it is to take care of your child when he is bitten. If you need to get the parasite out of your skin, do it; this is the most important thing
Step 5. Clean the bite area
To get rid of any remaining toxins, you need to disinfect your skin. The ideal is to use an antiseptic or antibacterial product. Wet a cloth or cotton swab with a disinfectant agent and rub it gently on the affected area.
- If your skin starts to get irritated after the bug bite, rub an antibacterial ointment like Neosporin to make sure it doesn't become infected.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after cleaning the baby's skin.
Step 6. Take the baby to the pediatrician
If you have been bitten by a tick, you must have it examined by your doctor. If he has an infection, thus confirming the fact that he has contracted Lyme disease, you must have him get the necessary treatment as soon as possible.
Even if you have not been able to preserve the tick, the doctor is still able to diagnose the disease
Part 4 of 5: Recognizing the Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Step 1. Know the incubation time
There is a certain amount of time during which symptoms of the disease develop. If your baby is bitten by a deer tick, the first sign of the disease begins to show itself over a period of three days to a month.
When your child is bitten, check the affected area throughout this time for any warning signs
Step 2. Look for rashes in the surrounding area
The first characteristic symptom of Lyme disease is a rash known as erythema migrans. It typically appears as a circular or oval shaped reddish spot where the baby was bitten. Over time, the spot tends to widen and take on the appearance of a target, forming a reddish-pink circle surrounding an area of light skin with another reddish center.
This very distinctive rash appears on the site of the bite in the first stage of the disease, usually after about a week. However, as the infection spreads to the blood, others can form in different parts of the body
Step 3. Check the area
In addition to becoming irritated, the skin around the bite begins to become sore or itchy. Erythema migrans develops in about 70-80% of Lyme disease cases. The rash is usually warm to the touch, but can also cause pain, a burning sensation, or itching, although these symptoms are rarer.
- In severe cases, the rash does not appear at all. This is a dangerous situation, because the infection continues to spread in the blood without visible manifestations. This more severe form affects other vital organs without the victim realizing that something troubling is going on.
- Lyme disease also affects the joints, heart, or nervous system.
- If you see any rashes from erythema migrans, you need to take the baby to the pediatrician immediately.
Step 4. Recognize flu-like symptoms
In addition to erythema migrans early in the disease, patients also develop symptoms such as headache, fever, general fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and chills.
If your child exhibits both erythema migrans and these flu-like symptoms, you need to take them to the pediatrician right away for medical attention
Step 5. Pay attention to changes in your child's behavior
If you have been bitten by a tick, you should also check this carefully. He may not be able to describe how he feels, so you need to look out for the warning signs. The most common behaviors you need to monitor are:
- Loss of concentration
- Difficulty sleeping at night
- Inability to concentrate on studying;
- Dizziness or a feeling of confusion
- Articolar pains;
- Recurrent fevers
- Increased sensitivity to light or noise.
Step 6. Check for late symptoms
Some signs of Lyme disease don't appear until the condition has reached an advanced stage. When it reaches this level, the bacteria spread to other parts of the body, causing severe damage to many vital organs, including the heart, joints and nervous system.
- Affected joints can lead to arthritis, which manifests as inflammation accompanied by some degree of stiffness, pain, swelling, and reduced range of motion.
- When the heart is affected, the baby can develop myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.
- If, on the other hand, the nervous system is affected by the disease, the child suffers from neuropathic pain, which manifests itself with exhaustion, muscle weakness, tingling and burning sensation in the peripheral nerves.
- When left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to life-threatening complications, such as heart failure or meningitis.
Part 5 of 5: Follow a Treatment Plan
Step 1. Know the basics of therapeutic treatment
The goal of treatment is to kill the bacteria responsible for the infection, to control and manage all the symptoms that arise, to try to prevent any complication or spread of the infection, in order to protect the other vital organs. The first therapeutic intervention is to administer antibiotics. These can only be prescribed by the doctor and only he can determine the appropriate dosage.
Eventually, she may also prescribe other medications for the child to keep further symptoms at bay
Step 2. Take the baby to the pediatrician
If you recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease, you must see your doctor immediately, who will prescribe antibiotic treatment to kill the bacteria responsible for the disease. The doctor will define the best drug treatment based on the patient's age and stage of the disease.
- Oral antibiotics are usually sufficient to stop the infection and the characteristic skin rash in children. Doctors usually prescribe a course for a week or two as an initial cure, which is effective for most cases of erythema migrans. However, it is not uncommon for pediatricians to recommend continuing antibiotic therapy for another two weeks, to completely eradicate the bacteria responsible for the disease.
- The choice generally falls on broad-spectrum antibiotics such as Augmentin, which is amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid. This drug is available in different strengths to suit the various ages of the patients. Sometimes, an oral suspension is recommended for younger children who are at least 4 years old.
Step 3. Give your baby antibiotic injections
If you have symptoms of the disease in the advanced stage, injection is preferred, which has a more rapid effect. In this way, the drug is absorbed more quickly, starting to act immediately and healing more quickly. It is also capable of managing other serious complications such as arthritis.
- The available injectable drug is Rocefin (ceftriaxone) which is administered in a concentration of 0.5 mg. It is given as an intramuscular or intravenous injection in a daily dose.
- The pediatrician will observe the little patient for a certain period, to evaluate the effectiveness of the antibiotics or to understand if the infection does not respond to treatment. In this case, the type of drug may change.
Step 4. Give your child NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are typically prescribed for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. They are able to control pain and fever, as well as reduce any inflammation and rash; they also relieve swelling and the sensation of heat transmitted by the affected skin areas.
- These drugs are typically prescribed when one of the complications of Lyme disease in children is arthritic pain.
- Read the instructions in the leaflet of all over-the-counter medicines and pay attention to pediatric dosages. If in doubt, call your doctor.
- You can purchase non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen (pediatric Nurofen) or diclofenac (Voltaren), which are available as syrups, suppositories or sachets. The pediatrician will prescribe the correct medicine based on the child's age.
- Do not give aspirin to children under 18 years of age, as it has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare disease that causes the brain and liver to swell.
Step 5. Apply a topical solution to combat the itching
Although it cannot cure Lyme disease, these kinds of creams or gels can be smeared directly on the rash to prevent the baby from scratching. The ointments relieve the discomfort caused by itching and burning by reducing the painful sensation.
- Ask your pediatrician for advice before applying any cream to your baby's skin.
- However, antibiotics are essential to treat Lyme disease; itch ointments only relieve symptoms.
