Tick ​​erythema and Lyme disease. Diagnosis, diagnosis, treatment

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Erythema after a tick bite, i.e. migrating erythema is the first sign that Borrelia burgdorferi was most likely infected. It is this spiral bacterium that is responsible for the disease that, according to researchers, is infected by tens of thousands of people in Poland every year, i.e. Lyme disease.

Tick ​​erythema – the first symptom of Lyme disease

Tick ​​erythema, or migratory erythema, is a circular rash that often appears in the early stages of Lyme disease. It can be up to 30 centimeters wide and can be warm to the touch. It is usually not itchy or painful and can appear in more than one place on the body.

About 70 to 80 percent of people with Lyme disease have just such a rash. A diagnosis of Lyme disease can be made if we have a rash with erythema migrans and have recently been bitten by a tick, or if we have been in an area where a bite is likely, such as a forest. Usually, erythema appears at the site of a tick bite within 3 to 30 days after the tick bite. It will gradually expand, although it is not always the same for everyone.

See also: How to recognize an allergic rash? Causes, symptoms and treatment of skin allergies

Erythema after a tick – how to recognize?

Migratory erythema is a large rash, usually about 5 to 6,5 centimeters in size and gradually widening. It can reach up to 30 centimeters or more. The rash appears on the spot where we were bitten by a tick somewhere between 3 and 30 days after the bite. For most people, it will take 7 to 10 days to appear.

Many people notice a lump or redness immediately after a tick bite, but this usually clears up within a few days and is not a sign of Lyme disease.

Migratory erythema can be warm when touched, but is rarely painful or itchy. As a rash is an early symptom of Lyme disease, you may also experience:

1. fever;
2. headache;
3. chills;
4. joint pain;
5. swollen lymph nodes.

When a rash appears it will begin to widen and may be over 15 centimeters wide. In some people, the rash may begin to resolve as it gets bigger, producing a rounded rash that many people associate with Lyme disease. It is worth adding that some people with darker complexion may have a bruise-like rash.

See also: Ticks attack. How can a bite end?

Erythema after a tick – when to contact a doctor?

Migratory erythema is a characteristic symptom of Lyme disease. If we believe we may have been bitten by a tick and have developed a circular rash, see your doctor as soon as possible. Medical attention is especially important if we have other symptoms of Lyme disease in the early stages, which usually resemble the flu.

Untreated Lyme disease can cause:

1. arthritis and pain;
2. irregular heartbeat;
3. dyspnoea;
4. numbness of the hands and feet;
5. facial paralysis (drooping or loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face);
6. dizziness;
7. short-term memory loss.

If treated early, Lyme disease can almost always be cured. Let’s contact the doctor as soon as we see erythema after a tick bite.

It is best to send it for laboratory testing immediately after removing the tick. Order today Shipment PCR test for Lyme disease and co-infections (tick test).

See also: Attention! This is the biggest mistake when removing the tick. Never do that

Erythema after tick – diagnosis

A doctor can diagnose us with Lyme disease if we have erythema migrans and we suspect that we have recently been bitten by a tick or have been in a place where a tick may have bitten us. This is the only symptom that doctors can use to diagnose Lyme disease without blood tests.

While there are other rashes that look like erythema migrans, this rash is one of the similar looking rashes that spread quickly for days after it appears. It is also the only erythema that may appear as a circle-shaped rash.

Even if a doctor diagnoses Lyme disease based on erythema migrans, he or she will perform a blood test to confirm the diagnosis. An enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) detects antibodies to the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. This is the most commonly used test.

See also: Ticks – the most important questions and answers

Erythema after tick – treatment

Lyme disease is treated with oral antibiotics such as doxycycline (Acticlate, Doryx, Vibra-Tabs) or amoxicillin. A treatment course of 14 to 21 days will be effective in curing the disease in most people. If Lyme disease in our case is at a later stage with neurological symptoms, we may need intravenous (IV) antibiotics.

Since erythema migrans is a skin infection caused by Lyme disease, any treatment for Lyme disease will also treat erythema migrans. If the rash is itchy or uncomfortable, you can try using an antihistamine to ease the itching or a cold compress to cool the area of ​​the rash. However, ask your doctor before taking any medications for rash.

See also: Ticks attack not only humans, but also dogs and cats

Tick ​​erythema and allergic reaction

Tick ​​erythema (migratory erythema) can be mistaken for an allergic reaction. Fortunately, there are some differences between the two that can help us tell the difference between red spots. First, attention should be paid to the fact that an allergic reaction to a tick occurs very quickly, within a few hours. In turn, the erythema may appear even a few days after the bite. Secondly, erythema in the case of an allergic reaction usually does not exceed the limit of 5 cm and disappears spontaneously.

Third, an allergic reaction may be itchy and the lesion itself may be hard. In the case of tick-red erythema, the redness will resemble a shooting range with larger and larger red circles appearing. Flu symptoms are also the difference between the erythema and not the allergic reaction.

See also: We debunk five popular myths about ticks

Tick ​​erythema – Lyme disease prevention

If you are in wooded or tall grass areas during the tick season (May to mid-July), it is important to take precautions to avoid being bitten by ticks. This is the best way to prevent Lyme disease.

To reduce the risk of getting bitten, follow these tips.

1. We wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outside. We may feel hot, but clothing that covers most of our body will reduce the area where ticks can bite. However, we should be extremely careful to avoid dehydration or overheating.
2. Use an insect repellent (insect spray) with DEET. DEET, or N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide, is a chemical considered to be the most effective insect repellent, also used as a prophylaxis against tick bites. Preparations usually containing 5% to 50% DEET are available on the market, and the duration of their action extends with increasing concentration of this chemical substance. Do not use more of this agent than is required for the time spent outside and do not use it on the hands of young children or the faces of children under 2 months of age (cases of seizures in children have been reported after using preparations containing DEET). We can also use a tick repellent spray containing permethrin on clothes. As a protection against ticks, try Antiklat – a mix of natural essential oils for ETJA ticks.
3. Let’s check ourselves, our children and pets for ticks as soon as they enter the house. If we find a tick, remove it with tweezers, gently pulling it near the head or mouth. Let’s check that all parts of the tick have been removed, and then disinfect the bite site.
4. Let us put our clothes in the dryer for ten minutes on a high temperature to kill any ticks that may have stuck.

If a tick does enter the skin, remove it as soon as possible. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a tick removal kit with tweezers, cotton balls and plasters at home.