Allergy to ticks in adults

Most often, tick bites are not a very serious problem. A person develops a small red bump that usually does not itch or itch. But often ticks stick very deeply and are difficult to remove, in addition, there is always a risk of contracting serious infections, and some people may be allergic to tick bites.

Problems associated with tick bites include tick bites themselves (when they are removed on their own, leaving part of the bloodsucker in the wound, which can cause suppuration), the transmission of infectious diseases, and sometimes allergic reactions.

Like other arachnids (such as spiders, scorpions, and house dust mites), ixodid ticks have eight legs. They go through several stages of life from egg to larva, nymph and finally adult. Health problems associated with tick bites include:

• transmission of an infection (for example, Lyme disease or borreliosis);
• tick-borne encephalitis;
• allergic reactions to tick bites, and sometimes cross-allergic reactions to red meat and gelatin.

Can adults be allergic to ticks?

Adult mites cause many health problems. However, mites of all stages can provoke allergic reactions. The larvae are very small, about 1 mm in size, and it is difficult to see them, the nymphs are slightly larger – about 2 mm in diameter, in adult ticks (before feeding on blood) the size is up to 4 mm, and after feeding they are several times larger.

Adult mites attach themselves to the tips of blades of grass and plants and cling to passing animals or people. When a tick hits a person, it usually crawls under clothing. Adult mites firmly attach to their host by biting through the skin. The most common reaction is local irritation and swelling. Although “mite season” is often considered to be around May to August, other stages of the mite are present in the environment all year round, so there is no period when the risk of infestation completely disappears.

A special variant of reactions to ticks is the so-called tick paralysis. Tick ​​saliva can cause paralysis in animals and humans (children are more susceptible), usually within 3 to 5 days after the tick has invaded. Symptoms are caused by the introduction of toxic neurotoxin proteins into the human body. Symptoms include blurry vision, limb weakness, and problems with coordination or speech. This is not considered an allergic reaction, although immunological mechanisms may be involved. Treatment focuses on removing the tick. There is no vaccine to prevent this reaction in humans.

Ticks as a source of infectious disease. Ticks can transmit infection from animals to the human host, for example, typhus and borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis.

How does a tick allergy manifest in adults?

Although rare, it is quite possible to develop allergic reactions to ticks. At the site of a tick bite, there is often a slight local itching and swelling. This does not mean allergy.

Sometimes large local swelling and inflammation can occur at the site of the bite, which can last for several days. Serious allergic reactions (such as anaphylaxis) have also been described in response to the bite of some tick species worldwide, including the so-called Australian paralytic tick (Ixodes holocyclus).

When removing ticks at home, serious allergic reactions occur. While most advice is to remove the tick as soon as possible with a pair of fine forceps, people with tick allergies are not recommended.

Almost always, an allergic reaction occurs when the tick is forcibly removed, usually after attempts to remove it, or, for example, after the tick is unintentionally disturbed by scratching, intentionally removing, or applying irritating chemicals such as methylated spirits or kerosene. All of these actions can cause the tick to inject more saliva containing the allergen. This has implications for what should be done when a tick is found.

How to treat allergy to ticks in adults

If an allergy to tick bites is suspected, it is important to see a doctor in order to remove the insect, eliminate the risk of infection, and choose a tactic for treating the allergy.

Diagnostics

There are currently no reliable allergy tests (skin or blood tests) to confirm a diagnosis of tick allergy. Australian researchers have determined that the allergens causing the problems are tick saliva proteins. The diagnosis is largely based on the history of the reaction, but some allergy test results are associated with exposure to tick bites and clinical symptoms. Researchers have found that the following blood allergy tests (RAST, ImmunoCap) are positive in most people with severe allergic reactions to tick bites.

Sometimes testing can help confirm the diagnosis and any doctor can order these tests:

• allergy to beef and other red meat (cross-tick) – alpha-galactose, a sugar molecule found in non-human red meat and in the intestines of ticks, may be an allergen;
• tryptase (an enzyme that is elevated in people with mastocytosis, which is associated with an increased risk of allergic reactions to a number of allergic triggers, including insect bites and tick bites).

Modern methods

What to do if you find a tick on your skin and you do not have an allergy.

The best advice depends on whether you have had severe allergic reactions to tick bites. If you have only minor irritation and local swelling, remove the tick as soon as possible to reduce the risk of tick paralysis or tick-borne infection. Thus, remove the tick, following the general advice to use thin forceps or tweezers between the skin and the tick’s mouthparts.

What to do if you find a tick on your skin and you have an allergy, such as a rash all over your body, anaphylaxis with difficulty breathing, or a drop in blood pressure.

If you are allergic to mites, you should carry emergency medicines (such as an adrenaline auto-injector such as EpiPen or Anapen) with you.

If you find a tick, do not forcefully remove it. Don’t try to kill the tick with insecticides or chemicals (such as oil, turpentine, kerosene, methyl alcohol). Attempts to remove the tick or use these products may irritate the tick, do not result in immediate death of the tick, and increase the risk of introducing more saliva containing the allergen. Indeed, most allergic reactions to ticks occur when an attempt is made to remove or poison the tick, or to disturb it (eg by scratching).

Medical treatment consists of first killing the tick by freezing it using aerosol cans commonly used to treat warts.

Seek emergency medical attention if additional treatment is needed.

Follow an anaphylaxis action plan, including the use of an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) for potentially dangerous allergic symptoms.

Prevention of allergy to ticks in adults at home

Let’s look at measures that will help reduce the risk of a tick bite.

Install an animal-proof fence to keep animals out of the yard where they can drop ticks.

Create a hostile environment for ticks. They don’t like dry, hot conditions, so remove overhanging shady foliage and leaf litter, keep lawns small, and mow the grass frequently.

Treat the yard with insecticides.

Pay attention to pet care to prevent ticks. Unfortunately, topical and oral preparations used for pets have not been tested in humans.

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers when walking in areas where there are ticks. Tuck your pants into long socks. Wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Wear light, light-colored clothing to make it easier to see the ticks.

Clean your clothes before entering the house to remove mites. Then put the clothes in the hot clothes dryer for 20 minutes to kill the mites.

Undress and check for ticks daily, carefully inspecting the neck and scalp.

Insect repellant, especially one containing DEET or picaridin, may help.

Consider purchasing and wearing permethrin-soaked clothing when gardening or walking through the bushes.

People with recurring dangerous allergic reactions to tick bites may consider moving to areas where ticks are not endemic.

Popular questions and answers

Questions related to tick allergies were answered by pharmacist, teacher of pharmacology, editor-in-chief of MedCorr Zorina Olga.