TICKS/ LYME
The following photos & caption are from @purelyparsons.
Tick season is upon us! These pesky critters always make my stomach turn when I find one attached because they do carry some diseases - the most infamous and dreaded one being Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi). In this post I will cover how to prevent tick bites and what to do if you find a tick on you or a family member 📍Disclaimer: the following is for educational purposes only & is not intended to be substitute for professional medical care. Please do not message me asking for medical advice regarding your tick bites 😅
Prevention is the number one way to ensure you are spared from the negative effects of a tick bite. When spending time in the woods or anywhere ticks may be present, be sure to wear light colored long sleeves/pants, tall boots, and avoid tall grassy areas if possible. You can also use tick repellant, & you can swipe right to see a recipe for one.
If you do find a tick, don't panic! Swift removal with proper technique is obtainable if you're calm. You can purchase removal devices on amazon, but we just sanitize a pair of tweezers and it does the job. Do not burn the tick or put anything on it prior to removal to prevent the tick from discharging more saliva into you. Using gentle pressure, pull in an upward direction in the opposite direction of where it implanted. Expect to see the skin "tent" as you slowly pull upwards. Wash the area with soap and water and dispose of the tick or place in a ziplock bag. If you plan to send the tick off for testing, ticknology.org is one of many where you can do so. Some people will freeze the tick with the date of bite, and then monitor for any development of Lyme symptoms before disposing.
Homeopathic prophylaxis for post tick bite/Lyme prevention (recommended by @herhome.lifewho is a homeopath gracious enough to share her knowledge): Ledum pallustre:
-After tick removal, give Ledum (30CH or 200CH (this is the strength), whichever you can get your hands on), 3x per day (20 mins away from food or drink other than water), 2-3 pills each time. Repeat for 3 days.
The following photos & caption are from @caitlyn_doerksen.
Back to Idaho and back to tick season. (Missing Maui)
This was the last post I had put together that includes all the herbs we used and some we are still using after the tick bite. I will keep these on hand.
The following photo & caption are from @wellrootedpediatrics.
We're here again to talk ticks! 😱 This tick season is no joke!
‼️ Here are detailed instructions on how to remove a tick if it has bitten you or your child. Check pets too!
👉 The second slide shows a tick we just found in a child's armpit area - that's a 10 year olds thumb! These buggers can be TINY!
Please be sure to check your children thoroughly when they come in from outside. And teach them to check themselves. Just because you don't live in the woods doesn't mean you're in the clear, ticks are everywhere and Lyme Disease is nothing to mess with!
☎️ If you find a tick that has bitten through the skin, remove it, save it -dead or alive - to send for testing, and contact us to formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
https://www.ticknology.org/
The following is an email I got from @NaturalNurseMomma.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TICKS.
EK! TICKS. Do you really need to worry about them? I mean, everyone gets tick bites, right? Right, but YES you DO need to be mindful of ticks. Ticks carry more than just Lyme disease!
Other known tick borne diseases include Borellia, Babes, Bartonella, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Mycoplasma. Typical signs to look for after a tick bite include fever, bullseye rash (only 50%) swollen lymph node, body rash, stiff neck, headache, joint pain, etc. Nontypical signs associated with other tick diseases include eye floaters, migrating arthritis pains, joint swelling, sinus problems, drenching night sweats, rage/anger, stretch-mark like rash, pain in the shin bones or feet. These might be later signs. Initially, looking for fever, rash, nausea/ vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, etc.
We used to think Lyme was only in certain parts of the country but Lyme and other tick coinfections are everywhere. Do not believe anyone that says otherwise. Most people WILL be exposed to these infections at some point, but the body SHOULD be able to clear it, for example 56% of people with asthma have this bacteria in their lungs versus 9% of the people that do not have asthma (statistics from Chronic, written by Dr. Steven Phillips). That discussion is for another email though….
WHERE TO CHECK FOR TICKS | In and around the ears and hair, inside the belly button, under the arms, around the waist, between the legs, back of knees. These are the most common spots but to be honest, I do a full body check on my kids. Ticks are sneaky and like to hide. Behind the ears, on the neck, scalp, waist especially…
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND A TICK ATTACHED | Remove it! But how?
USE TWEEZERS. Using fine tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Pull upward with a steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick. You want the head intact.
USE A TICK KEY. I find this to be very helpful for quick and easy tick removal with the head - HERE is the one I use.
AFTER REMOVING THE TICK | After removing the tick put it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. If no concerning symptoms appear and the tick was on for a very short time (like just an afternoon or evening) and you are not concerned, then throw the tick away. But if symptoms do appear or you become concerned or you are not sure how long the tick was on but suspect a longer period of time, go on and send the tick to get tested. I use the website www.tickreport.com. It does cost $50. But it is MUCH easier to treat Lyme in the acute phase than it is to treat once chronic symptoms have appeared.
After I remove the tick, I make a paste of bentonite clay and andrographis and a drop of tea tree essential oil (I only recommend Young Living). I leave the paste on for for 30 minutes or so. I repeat daily at least for a week.
After a bite I give my children Ledum homeopathic remedy for 1 week as well as astragalus. I cannot give dosing or ages on this but general dosing for children with herbs is 1/4 of what an adult would take. I started off with just a few drops.
Here's a few other things I do when a tick bite or other typical illness occurs:
Whole food vitamin C (I use Young Living Super C chewable, Earthley Immune Aid, or Acerola powder from Perfect Supplements)
Antioxidants (Ningxia Red from Young Living, it is a wolfberry puree)
Inner Defense or oregano oil on the bottom of feet (both from Young Living)
Nutrient dense whole food eating, gelatin gummies made from bovine gelatin, great to heal gut lining, etc.
BASIC TICK PREVENTION
Keep grass cut short.
Keep chickens, guineas, or opossums outside the house as they eat ticks.
Avoid shaded, wet areas.
Wear light colored clothing.
Create a landscaping area around the border of your yard with large rocks, wood chips, stacked wood, etc. This deters ticks!
Use a lint roller when coming inside, this is really helpful to find ticks on clothing.
Take a shower after coming inside.
Natural sprays for yard (we use Wondercide)
Cistus tea. But let me warn you, you need 3-6 cups PER DAY for this to be effective. Adding Cistus essential oil to your natural bug spray is also helpful. HERE is the insect repellant we use and add Cistus (also from YL)
Sunscreen from Young Living (non nano zinc oxide)
Geranium (for after swimming pool), Lavender, and Purification essential oils. Geranium to help detox chlorine. Lavender for if in sun too long, plus it helps with itchy skin. Purification for after any bug bites. As well, diluted purification on the outside of the ear is helpful for ear issues. (In front of, behind the ear, and down the neck), no essential oils in the ear!
KidScents Owie is a constant favorite around here to help with boo-boos, its prediluted for kids!
Digestive enzymes and Digize oil blend for when you eat something at a cookout that doesn’t feel so great. My fave digestive enzymes are Essentialzymes-4 from Young Living.
Epsom salt baths, electrolytes, and lots of mineral replacement for all that summertime sweating! Favorite electrolyte powder, magnesium, and whole food adrenal cocktail (whole food Vitamin C, sodium, potassium) linked on Fullscript.
Just Ingredients protein powder for on the go nourishment. Use code NATURALNURSEMOMMA for 10% off
Considering #BeeVenomTherapy? Already stinging but need to have the research at the ready? Youre gonna want to SAVE this post 🙌🏻
Apitherapists & those who use bee venom to recover from Lyme disease knew that when applied safely, bee venom could show immediate & lasting benefits to those suffering from chronic illness. But until this research was released, we only guessed at how bee venom killed Lyme.
So what did the research show?
The University of New Haven has proven that Lyme disease is NO MATCH for #beevenom. 🐝
Leading Lyme disease researcher EvaSapi, Ph.D. & her colleagues proved that the antimicrobial activity of bee venom (& the melittin it contains) not only works against Borrelia burgdorferi but its accompanying biofilms... & is way more effective than any leading antibiotics, antibiotic mixtures, & herbal treatments in terms of killing the bacteria.
Why are these other treatments often ineffective?
Because unless caught early, the Lyme bacteria create a natural resistance to antibiotics & herbal modalities.
When they encounter antibiotics, the Borrelia create nearly impenatrable biofilms shields that protect them from pharmaceutical & herbal remedies.
At the same time, they also morph from spiral bacteria to rounded circles that again, create a natural barrier to antibiotic & herbal compounds currently used to treat Lyme disease.
To add insult to injury, these antibiotic & herbal assaults also cause the bacteria to burrow deep into lymph, bone, brain, & spinal fluid.
So why isn’t every practitioner supporting BVT?
Many practitioners are now embracing bee venom as a valid alternative, but until research $$ spent by philanthropic individuals on human studies, many doctors will be reluctant to recommend this therapy due to fear of opening themselves up legally or in front of medical boards.
Luckily for us, bees do not require a prescription to purchase. 🐝🐝
Looking for more scientific research on BVT and the link to this study? Click the link in our bio to download our FREE guide.
What was your experience with antibiotics? Share your story in the comments; you are never alone 💓⤵️
One of the biggest problems with traditional testing for Lyme and coinfections is that with lab testing we either look in the blood or we look in the urine. The symptoms a client typically come to me with suggest that the Lyme or Babesia, etc at this point is in the brain, or in the joints, or in the Lymphatic system, etc.
Traditional testing is a matter of luck to some extent. That enough of the pathogen is in the urine or blood to provoke a positive test.
If you don't find Lyme in the blood or in the urine it does not mean that it's not there.
A few more important notes:
* Ticks have a particular enzyme in their mouth that can make the Lyme spirochete immediately penetrate every barrier in the system, and even in studies shown to be in the brain within four minutes.
* The only reliable, definitive, diagnostic marker is if someone presents with a bulls-eye rash. Unfortunately, only about 30% (maybe even less) show this traditional rash during infection.
* IgM antibodies are shown to rise during the third week post exposure, peak after four to six weeks and then disappear by week eight. So if you get tested after the second month, they may not show at all.
* Lyme bacteria continually alter their genetic makeup and their form in such a way that they are invisible to testing. There are also many different species of Lyme and tests are often not specific enough to identify them.
Diagnosing Lyme:
* Health history: Tick, mosquitoes, spiders, flea exposures? Bullseye rashes? History of family with autoimmune disease? Partner with a Lyme diagnosis?
* IgnenX, DNA ConneXions, Vibrant labs. These tend to be more accurate, but pretty expensive. Why I don't run them in my practice.
* Blood work markers I look out for: RBC, WBC, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Eosinophils, Basophils, ALT, AST, Cholesterol, to name a few.
* Alternative testing: ART, muscle testing or bio resonance. Not a diagnosis, but helpful to find hidden pathogens. This is what I use in my practice (and blood work) and find great success without needing a diagnosis.
Tick-borne illnesses are something we ALL need to be aware of... they aren't something that just some states or some countries need to be aware of... did you know you can pass Lyme down in utero? Yes, and it and other factors can cause many issues. But to keep these patients bouncing around to different providers because "everything is normal" is doing a disservice to millions of people.
Most people with Lyme and other tick illnesses are never diagnosed. It's sad but unless someone knows to question the negative blood test, they won't get the answers they're looking for unless they think outside the box and go outside what conventional medicine has to offer.
This post isn't meant to frighten but to empower. You can act right away if a bite occurs! I have outlined several steps I take in my home in my recent blog post (linked in bio and in stories).
If you want to dive into this topic deeper and look at prevention and intervention for bites, check out @the.enlightened.homeopath and @the.holistic.mother tick course. I linked it into my blog or check out their pages.
The images about co-infections are from @dr.jess.md and @wplusbydrjess ... a great resource for many!
As always, do not be frozen in fear. Be empowered with the knowledge that you can be proactive! ❤️❤️
Check out the blog, I go over where to check for ticks, what I do if I find one, etc.
FOLLOW ME @THETOXINFREETEXAN FOR MORE TIPS AND TRICKS.