Aids: knee socks, spray, etc.: These products offer protection against ticks
Anyone who is out in nature should protect themselves well from ticks
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Between March and November, it is important to protect yourself and your children from ticks when you are outside. Which remedies help and what else you should know.
Anyone who often enjoys being out and about in nature has probably already met one of them: ticks are unpleasant parasites that settle in the skin and, in the worst case, can transmit diseases. One of them is Lyme disease. This disease, caused by bacteria, can lead to joint problems, for example. But temporary paralysis and inflammation in the brain are also possible consequences.
You can have a doctor take a blood test to determine whether you are suffering from the disease approximately five weeks after a tick bite. If the test is positive, antibiotics can help. There is no vaccination against Lyme disease. You can read more about how you can recognize a tick bite and what to do afterwards in our article.
A second disease that can often be transmitted by ticks is tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The viruses of this infectious disease are transmitted by ticks. Flu-like symptoms are typical. An infection of the meninges, brain or spinal cord are also possible, although very rare. Problematic: TBE cannot be treated, but there is a vaccination that can be useful if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
This is how you can protect yourself from ticks
To minimize the chances of ticks getting to your skin, you can protect yourself using the following methods:
Not the most attractive method, but effective, is to put the (knee) socks over your long pants. The RKI explains that this forces ticks to climb further up clothing, making it easier to detect them before they can get to the skin. Sturdy shoes and long-sleeved tops may still be helpful. If the clothing is light-colored, ticks can be found more quickly. It is logical, but still worth mentioning, to avoid areas where ticks are more common. These include tall grass, leaves, bushes, bushes, undergrowth or thickets. Now widely known, but still worth mentioning: ticks don’t fall from trees. A walk through the forest on a solid path is less dangerous than a detour through the tall grass. You should also check your pets for ticks so you don’t bring them home. The use of repellents is also effective and helpful, but is limited in time and should be refreshed again and again. Anti-tick remedies are available as a spray, cream or lotion. The product of choice should not only be applied to the skin, but ideally also to clothing. However, there is no 100% protection against ticks.
It also makes sense to have tick tweezers and disinfectant with you when hiking or spending longer periods in nature so that you can react quickly in the event of a tick bite.
It is also important to check yourself (and especially children) thoroughly for ticks after spending time outdoors. Hairline, ears, neck, armpits, elbow, belly button, genital area, bottom crack or the back of the knee are attractive areas of the body for ticks that you should take into account when searching. You should also look out not only for larger ticks, but also for larvae that may have gotten onto your body.
Those: RKI
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