What diagnostics are performed?
Anamnesis (questioning the patient) plays an important role in the diagnosis of a tick bite. Risk factors (exposure to ticks, stay in tick rich areas) as well as a remembered tick bite can be identified. Subsequently, an examination of the bite site is carried out, as local signs of inflammation or migratory redness can occur there.
Laboratory tests are carried out to detect an infection. Antibodies against TBE and Borrelia can be found in the blood. In order to exclude an infection of the brain by the pathogens, a puncture of the cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) can be performed. In this, one tries to detect the pathogens.
Other accompanying symptoms
Itching is not a very typical symptom of tick bites. In fact, tick bites usually go unnoticed and are only discovered when the body is searched for ticks. Occasionally itching occurs in the area of the bite due to the local inflammatory reaction.
If itching occurs after staying in an area with many ticks, one should search the body thoroughly for ticks. These are particularly likely to settle in warm skin folds such as under the armpits or in the groin. Migratory redness (also called erythema migrans) is a symptom that can occur after a tick bite with a Borrelia infection.
This skin change develops in about half of the people who come into contact with the pathogen. A few days to weeks after the actual tick bite, a circular reddening develops around the bite site. This spreads over time and develops a paleness in the middle. Pain rarely occurs, occasionally itching occurs. The longer the tick is attached, the more likely the Borrelia bacteria are transmitted.
When do I have to go to the doctor?
If you discover a tick bite on your own, you can first treat it carefully yourself. The most important thing is to remove the tick quickly and carefully using special tweezers or tick cards. It is important to remove the tick completely without leaving the head or the biting tool in the body. If this does not succeed or if the tick is crushed in the process, one should consult a doctor. Even if a reddening develops after the tick bite (especially a traveling redness), you should see a doctor.Other symptoms such as flu-like symptoms a few days after a tick bite should also be clarified during a visit to the doctor.
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