Topic: sorry, gross question, but what happens if you eat a tick??
SunRa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3559
posted
sorry, I know it's gross, but this just crossed my mind since the farm we belong to is in a tick infested area and since it's an organic farm, we often find bugs on the produce (better than pesticides though!).
we wash it all really well but of course some ticks you would never see. not sure they would really hang out on the veggies, but you never know.
I'm just curious..what would happen??
Posts: 1563 | From MA | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Interesting thought! Your right you wont see the nymphs most often!
Hmmmmmmmm
-------------------- Seeking renewed health & vitality. --------------------------------- Do not take anything I say as medical advice - I am NOT a dr! Posts: 830 | From TN | Registered: Aug 2007
| IP: Logged |
daise
Unregistered
posted
Hi SunRa,
I don't know.
If I were you in tick-endemic Maryland, working on a farm, I'd use a pesticide to try to keep ticks off.
I was writing organic gardening articles 26 years ago. Trust me: Using Deet is miles better than getting chronic Lyme disease.
True story: I had a huge bull's-eye rash and didn't know it was Lyme. (Most never get the rash.) No signs or symptoms. Nine years later SUDDENLY I had a multitude of hideous, painful and disabling signs and symptoms within the hour.
If that happens, will you (or other patients) know that it's Lyme? In most of the US--no.
Will you have insurance to pay for Lyme meds? Will insurance actually pay? Will you have tens of thousands of dollars to pay for Lyme treatment?
SunRa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3559
posted
hi daise, thanks for your thoughts. I'm in Massachusetts and I don't work on the farm much, just pick up my weekly share...the question isn't so much about ME getting ticks, but having them already be on the vegetables and accidentally ingesting one
also, I've been dealing with a severe case of neuro lyme and all the associated stresses for several years now. it's been total hell and understand what you're saying...but for many reasons, I am still adamantly opposed to all synthetic pesticide use
Posts: 1563 | From MA | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
Angelica
Unregistered
posted
I have found small ticks on the leaves of my bean plants while picking green beans.
I wash everything really well as soon as I get it into the house but I understand the concern about eating ticks.
IP: Logged |
posted
Here's a good solution: spray beneficial nematodes on the farm. They help by killing ticks and grubs and various other garden pests!
They are not toxic, don't harm humans, pets or farm animals. I say parasite the ticks right back.
I sprayed them in my garden this year- no ticks and a continuing bug free harvest.
Posts: 524 | From Hudson Valley, NY | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Hey there Sunshine!
I wouldn't stake my reputation on this...but remember reading somewhere that ticks would not survive the digestive system.
I sort of find that difficult to believe knowing that they survive everything else, but hopefully it is correct and will bring you some comfort.
I tried a search for you, but could not come up with reputable info, sorry.
pamoisondelune
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11846
posted
I read that Lyme can be acquired in the stomach by ingestion, proven in animal studies.
Read that 4 yrs ago, sorry no link.
Posts: 1226 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
| IP: Logged |
Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
I was asked that question by a mother in a panic one day YEARS ago.
Her daughter called her from school. The kids were on a field trip and were having lunch at a picnic table. A tick was found crawling on her hand.
She quickly "flicked" it off, squirmed a bit and went on chatting and eating.
She took a drink of her chocolate milk... swallowed something besides the milk.. and couldn't spit it back up.
She immediately panicked and was crying... telling others she was going to get Lyme dissease from swallowing the tick.
That is when the mother called me to find out what to do.
I had NO clue. I asked as many people as I could to see if anyone knew.. and nothing. No one had heard of such a thing.
I searched for months to find answers... but never could.
Some suggested, as Melanie said she heard, that stomach juices might kill it.. but I agree with Melanie and I wouldn't bet money on it.
I'm afraid that is a risk you would take by not addressing the overwhelming tick populations. I'm afraid they will only continue to grow unless you do.
Sorry, but I know of no other way to prevent it or help you if you do eat them. You might want to take antibiotics if you think you ate them? I think I'd rather get rid of the ticks though before I had them as appetizers and had to ingest the chemicals needed to try to kick the diseases they carry.
SunRa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3559
posted
thanks for all the info and input! seems there aren't any definitive answers or studies done on this (regarding humans anyways).
I did find info about dogs contracting American canine hepatozoonosis, a very serious disease, from ingesting ticks. nothing about Lyme or other infections though.
I'll have to check with the farm to ask what they do (if anything) to reduce ticks naturally. The nematodes sound promising.
I know my opinion isn't shared by most here, but I personally believe that using chemical pesticides just trades one devastating problem for another, one with more widespread damage (on humans, wildlife, water sources, etc) than most realize.
Instead we need to work on re-balancing the ecosystem, a huge task of course especially due to global warming and bad human habits.
But that's a topic for another day Posts: 1563 | From MA | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
SunRa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3559
posted
and Tincup, you're right about the irony/hypocrisy of having to take chemical drugs to treat the infections. Pharmaceutical drugs are poisoning our water supply and have already adversely affected fish, birds, frogs, etc.
personally, I try to treat as naturally as possible (myself, pets, garden), but it's a big mess we're in. we all just have to do the best we can.
Posts: 1563 | From MA | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[puke]](graemlins/puke.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic