A friend emailed me this summer as he had been laid low with a headache and cold. He was concerned as he’d been bitten on the leg in France two weeks earlier and wondered if the bite was anything to do with the symptoms. He’d noticed at itch and when he investigated found a tiny bite mark surrounded by a pink halo two-inches across. Since no tick was apparent, he didn't worry until the symptoms of the cold started (lots of phlegm, sore throat then clogged ears, plus a cough).
But then he read that ticks often carry Lyme disease and aren't always detected. He recalled scratching out some kind of white matter from the bite, which seemed unusual. He thought he should go to a hospital emergency department as he thought they might prescribe antibiotics for such potential cases.
The essence of my response was:
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This doesn’t sound like a tick but if you feel you need a consultation your GP or family doctor will sort things out. This isn’t an emergency.
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Ticks usually stay attached for hours and sometimes days. Usually you'll notice them.
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Ticks often attach in hairy places and where the clothes are tight – often around the genitals or armpits or under the breast.
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Tick bites don’t usually itch.
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Lyme isn’t heralded by a mucusy cold.
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Many people developing Lyme disease have a fever so it is worth taking your temperature and be reassured if it is normal.
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The skin eruption lesion of Lyme Disease (and Old World Lyme doesn’t seem to be as nasty as US Lyme) is a red expanding target shape which looks as if it should itch but doesn’t.
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Lyme symptoms are typically aches and pains, although admittedly not everyone experiences symptoms.
When I shared my thoughts, he said ‘This information should be on the web.'
Hence this post.