Last night I was looking up something on head lice (my son saw lice on Arthur yesterday and started asking questions), and I came across a passage on ticks.
Here are some exerpts:
"Tick bites are potentially dangerous because of the viruses and bacteria they carry in their bodies and transmit as they feed.
Infections include Rocky Mountain Spotted fever and encephalitis.
Some ticks also harbor a toxin that paralyzes the legs, then moves up towards the trunk...
The skin around a tick bite hardens into a lump surrounded by a red halo (gee, does that sound like a bullseye?)."
And this is how outdated this book is:
When it talks about removing a tick, it says to use an extinguished match, petroleum jelly, gasoline, chloroform or ether to loosen the head.
(Where do you get chloroform and ether anyway?)
So I just thought that was interesting.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
on page 2, up
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
Oh my, that is funny and distressing reading, indeed. Yep, that most certainly is describing an Erythema Migrans rash.
VERY interesting how they describe the disease progression of one of the infections:
"Some ticks also harbor a toxin that paralyzes the legs, then moves up towards the trunk..."
Could you possibly post what that was in reference to?
It really reminds me of the poor girl that has been parayzed for years and no one can determine the cause. I know she has tested positive for Bartonella. AH I wish I could remember her name! Anyone?
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
nenet,
the young 15 yr. old girl you are thinking of is IOWA'S ALEX HERMSTAD! paralyzed and on ventilator the last 2 of 4 years !!!
her video is in my LYME VIDEO COLLECTION at top of support forum. just look for alex's name; it's 10 minutes now ... was redone!
thanks for thinking of her....
Posted by Starfall1969 (Member # 17353) on :
Regarding the tick with the toxins--
that's about all that was said about it, except that the paralysis went away when the tick was removed.
I read that and thought, yeah right.
I should probably get rid of that book, it's so outdated, but I do keep it for basic reference.
That and my sons love to look at the pictures of "sore hyners and skeleskins"--
they have pictures of diaper rashes and things like that, plus the usual pictures of skeletons and stuff.
But I don't use it to dianose anything--it seems about every symptom is something fatal or serious, lol.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Wow. When you look at it then, even though it feels like no progress has been made. It is good to know it has come a long way. But man it takes so long.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Wow. When you look at it then, even though it feels like no progress has been made. It is good to know it has come a long way. But man it takes so long.
Posted by tanzi2u (Member # 9237) on :
Tick Paralysis - while not an infectious agent, is caused by a neurotoxin produced by an engorged, egg-laying female tick. The paralysis starts in the lower body and spreads to the rest of the body. This can cause respiratory failure and death. Death in young children can occur in one or two days. If the tick is found and removed, the paralysis generally resolves.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Yes it was one of Houses' first episodes. That was a long time before I discovered I have Lyme. The patient was immune compromised to start with.
Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
1987 is the year that I got Lyme.
Hard to believe that Dr's really knew even less then, than they do now.