Iain Ferguson
TICK TIME
If you venture out in the great Lochaber outdoors, or anywhere with low vegetation, be aware ticks may be ready to grab on to you in search of a meal. A tick is an invertebrate related to spiders. They are particularly prevalent in wetter areas of woodlands, moorlands and long grass and can be present in large numbers even in a relatively small area. They are all but invisible, young ones being around the size of a poppy seed, and generally sit on top of a plant - such as the tip of fern - waiting for a potential host to brush past. Their bite is painless and once attached tend to remain until they have gorged on blood, gradually getting bigger over a period of days to weeks. A concern for anyone getting a tick bite is the danger of catching diseases which can be carried by it. While the chances of this happening are relatively small, it does happen
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and vigilance is required to spot the signs and seek medical assistance. Most well known of these illnesses is Lyme disease, which in its extreme form can be debilitating, attacking joints and the nervous system. It can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but effects can persist for up to two years. GP Jim Douglas has been studying all aspects of ticks, diseases related to their bite, treatment and how to combat these infections - work which has been widely recognised by the medical community. He said: ‘When the tick bites, it injects a fluid into the wound to keep the blood flowing and this is how the bacteria which cause Lyme disease can enter the host bloodstream. This can only happen if the tick had previously ingested the bacteria from a previous meal of infected blood, so not every tick will carry it. ‘If you do find a tick try to
remove it as soon as you can, but also properly, using a specially designed removal tool so that it comes out cleanly and without damage. This ensures that parts, such as the head, are not left in the skin to cause further problems.’ These tools are easily found in chemists and there are also many videos available online explaining their use and what signs of infections to look for once they have been removed. Dr Douglas features in several of these productions and are they worth watching. An easy way to find these is to type Dr Jm Douglas Tick video into an search engine. Prevention is always better than cure and a simple way to reduce the chance of tick bites is to cover up as much as possible when in the areas likely to provide their ideal living conditions.
| august 2021
Lochaber Life August 2021.indd 24
09/07/2021 15:39:49
