Symptoms of encephalitis. What should I do if I bite a tick?

With the onset of the warm season, many city residents go to the country, in the village or just go for a walk in the park or forest. But they do not always take care of their own safety. Every spring, doctors are sounding the alarm - the population of encephalitic mites has grown significantly in recent years, so the likelihood of contracting a viral disease through their bite also increased. What can infect such a tick?

Encephalitis is one of the most common diseases that occur after the bite of this insect. Therefore, it is impossible to neglect safety measures. After careful removal of the insect from the skin, it should be transferred to the SES for analysis, and most to go to the epidemiologist. Of course, you can not do all this, but is not it easier to stop the disease at an initial stage, than later very long to be treated ?!

Symptoms of encephalitis primarily include severe headache, fever. Also, there may be excessive sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting, weakness, drowsiness and general lethargy. Even signs of encephalitis can appear even one month after the bite. If, after the appearance of the above symptoms, a person does not consult a doctor, then in the future he may suffer from loss of memory, hallucinations, personality changes, as well as seizures and excessive arousal.

In severe forms, the disease can even lead to coma and death, so it's best not to ignore the symptoms of encephalitis. If a malaise occurs almost immediately after the bite, which rapidly builds up, this may indicate that the most severe form of the viral disease has occurred. And even in this case, timely medical assistance can help the victim fully recover. The main thing - it's urgent to see a doctor! After all, in very severe cases, paralysis of one of the hands can be observed.

What can we do to avoid danger? First, you can get vaccinated. Vaccination is carried out in 2 stages, the first of which falls on autumn, the doctor will have to visit again in the beginning of spring. In addition to encephalitis, mites can be infected with a number of other viruses that occur much less frequently. These microorganisms can cause more serious or simply rare diseases: borreliosis or Lyme disease, babesiosis, monocytic erlichiosis and several others. That's why after finding the sucked insect, you need to visit the SES and infectious disease specialist. The consequences of "dating" with a tick may not be obvious, even doctors sometimes take them for protracted ARVI. Therefore, it is better not to neglect your health and closely monitor if there are signs of encephalitis and borreliosis.

Of course, when visiting forests and parks you need to dress properly. There should be no open areas on the body, shoes should be worn closed. It is better to cover your head with something, and hide your hair. This is especially true for travelers who prefer walking through the Siberian and Far Eastern forests - there the chance to get infected is very high. And if it so happens that you have been bitten by a tick and you feel unwell after that, it is better not to ignore the symptoms of encephalitis and urgently seek medical attention.