"FIT WITH THE RIGHT FOOD"

Avoid contact with ticks

• don't walk barefoot in meadows with high grass or lie down without a blanket

• don't sit on tree stumps, logs or woodenplanks without a mat
• wear bright plain clothing and boots for hiking
• avoid perspiration and use a repellent for your bare skin
• before going to bed take a shower and look for ticks on your body
• check your pets regularly to avoid infestations with ticks

How to remove a tick

an adherent tick should be removed immediatly as an infection only  takes place after several hours of sucking. But be careful not to crush the tick or pull off the head, as this increases the danger of an infection.

• use sharp tweezers, grasp it delicately near your skin and pull it out without rotation

• if tweezers are not available, you could use your nails - special pincers and tick cards are only practicable for large ticks

• don't use oil, glue, polish remover and the like to kill the tick, as this action increases the risk of an infection

If you are bitten avoid any exertion for a few days, that an eventual infection won't spread. Watch the bite -wound and watch out for potential symptoms.

Tick-borne encephalitis

Western European TBE is endemic in Western and Central European countries, and is particularly common in the forests and mountainous regions of Germany, Austria, the Baltic Countries, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, Western Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Croatia and Slovenia.

Some of you have probably been vaccinated against this virus and are therefore protected for 3 - 5 years. Because of some severe side effects of this vaccination ( allergic and autoimmune reactions, paralysis, meningitis, neuritis etc.) it should be limited to persons living in endemic regions. Children under the age of three and people with an allergic disposition or impaired immune system should refrain from the inocculation. But even without a vaccination the danger of developing TBE is very low. In endemic regions only 1 in 1000 ticks carries the virus and only 5 persons of 100000 bitten by ticks get meningoencephalitis, in nonendemic parts the rate is 5 persons  out of 2 millions. 

Note: if you experience a high temperature (up to 39° C/102° F) and flu-like syptoms about one to two weeks after a bite, seek medical advise, as this could be a sign of an infection, that might cause meningitis or encephalitis.

Lyme disease

Ticks infested with the bacteria Borrelia are common in Central, Eastern and Northern Europe, North America and Australia. The average contamination rate is 10 - 15% up to 30% in the South of Germany. The risk to develop clinical symptoms is 900 cases to 10 000 bites; 150 of the 900 infections take a chronic progression. These cases experience over the years periods of exacerbation,that lead to a diminished quality of life.

Symptoms to detect an infection with borrelia:

• a few days after the bite you experience flu-like symptoms, headaches and the swelling of lymphatic glands

• mild fever up to 38°C/100°F (by this one may distinguish the bacteria induced infection from the viral TPE, where fever is much higher)

• only about 70% of the infected persons show the classic cutaneous blotch - termed 'erythema migrans'. The blotch usually appears at the site of the bite 7 to 10 days after the bite. It typically has a bright red outer border with a lighter shade in the center; the thigh, groin and axilla are common sites.

If you notice these symptoms, consult a physician to get an adequate therapy.

Note: if you dont't show the obvious erythema migrans, it is necessary to verify, if there is any infection - and if so  - which one

• the prophylactic administration of antibiotics after a tick bite without verification of a borrelia infection didn't prove useful

• the erroneous inocculation with TPE vaccine when there actually is an acute borrelia  infection causes severe complications. Therefore it's vital to distinguish the two infections (the most reliable diagnosis is normally provided by a tropical institute).

• there is no clue, that tetanus is transmitted by a tick bite; but this vaccination may worsen the progression of a Borrelia or TPE infection.

If antibiotics are recommended, the therapy should start as soon as possible to give the greatest effect; at the second and third stage of the Lyme disease there often is only a reduced recovery.

But in spite of the timely treatment of a first acute infection, recurrent unpleasant effects may occur, months or even years later.  You should be aware, that the following signs may be related to the former borreliosis.

• inflammation of muscles, joints and nerves

• persisting headaches and neck stiffness

• chronic fatigues and sleep disturbance

• rashes and atrophy of the skin

• weakness in legs and arms

Please note: improvement or even spontaneaous recovery is not uncommon in this disease

Your contribution to prevention and recovery

• take one dosis of 'Ledum C 200' every 3 months to decrease the risk of getting bitten.

• boost your immune defence aganst an eventual infection by taking a 'Tick Pathogen Nosode/Zeckenbissnosode D200' or if not available a 'Borrelia Nosode D200' and a 'Tick Fever or FSME Nosode D200'; 2 dosis on 2 following days at the beginning of spring. The effect will last for a whole year. I recommend to medicate your pets too.

• immediately after a bite you should take a dosis of Rhus tox. C200, Hypericum C30 and Arnica C30 once a day for 3 days

• after an antibiotic treatment you may detox your body system with the following remedies from 'Heel' - Coenzyme comp., Hepar comp. and Ubichinon comp. ( if you are not able to inject, you may drink the contents of the vials ) and for longterm treatment you should take Lymphomyosot, Reneel and Hepeel as tablets.

• you can back up your immune defence by staying clear of alcohol, nicotine and coffee, heeding the Basic Eating Guidelines  and performing moderate daily exercise in fresh air.

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