Agnė from Vilnius shares her experience on the social network Facebook and urges her friends to be careful - after spending just a few minutes in the forest, she removed four ticks from her body.
"In the spring, I collect herbs and nettles, I make cocktails. Today's beautiful weather called me deeper into the forest, because the grass near the road is dusty. I was collecting the spices, and when I put them in the bag, pulling my hands out, I saw that two of them were already sticking out. Just as many were already on their feet. "It was just five minutes of bending over," says a woman who suffered from Lyme disease a few years ago due to a tick bite.
Health experts argue that the ticks have already woken up from hibernation. Interest in protection against arachnids is increasing both in remote areas and in large cities. Pharmacists claim that they have already received the first questions from customers about what to do when bitten by a tick.
According to Eurovaistinės, the demand for tick-repellent substances (repellents) increases strongly in May, and reaches its peak in June. However, pharmacists warn that you should worry about protection against ticks much earlier.
"As the weather warms and the spring rains become more frequent, the number of ticks also increases. Although spring tick activity is in mid-May, ticks are active in Lithuania from March to November. You should not lose vigilance not only when going to nature, but also when spending time in city parks and forested areas", says pharmacist Raimonda Dubauskienė.
The pharmacist says that people in Lithuania are mostly sick with two tick-borne diseases: tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease. While vaccines can protect against tick-borne encephalitis, only consistent precautions can help prevent Lyme disease.
"A tick that has been sucked in should be removed as soon as possible so that it does not release viruses and bacteria that it may carry into the blood. It is very important to observe whether a person has a fever or red spots after a tick bite. If you experience suspicious symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Also, as a preventive measure, you should be checked 2-3 weeks after the removal of the tick - after performing the necessary blood tests, you can make sure that you are not really sick or that the symptoms of the disease have not appeared," warns the pharmacist.
According to the specialist, when choosing preparations to repel ticks, you should pay attention to the fact that repellants intended for insects also repel ticks, but weaker. It's best to look for one that has its intended use on the label.
"Protection against insects and arachnids can be aerosols, ointments, creams, pencils. When choosing the most suitable product, you should pay attention to the duration of action of the repellent, how the manufacturer recommends using the product (on the skin or on clothes) and which insects it repels (only mosquitoes, only ticks, and possibly both). It is important to know that the effectiveness and duration of action depend not only on the type of repellent, but also on the environmental conditions - if you spend the whole day in nature, it is definitely not enough to use the product once," says the specialist.
The pharmacist advises that when visiting places where there might be ticks, you should wear appropriate clothing - long pants, long-sleeved blouses. It is best if the clothes are light - then it is easier to notice the jumping tick.