See the gallery of 5 photos

Erythema after a tick bite does not occur in everyone. Only in some cases there is a characteristic reddening of the skin around the injection site. In such a situation, it should be diagnosed whether it is an allergic reaction to a tick bite or the so-called migratory erythema, which is one of the symptoms of Lyme infection. What does dangerous migratory erythema look like and how to treat it?

Erythema after a tick bitemay be an allergic or toxic-inflammatory lesion that does not indicate the presence of tick-borne microbes. The rash is not above skin level, is warm to the touch, and usually does not cause pain or itching. This type of skin allergic reaction never exceeds 5 cm and disappears after a month, regardless of whether we started treatment or not.

Erythema traveling through a tick bite - what does it look like?

Wandering erythema , also called " buffalo eye ", is caused by the bacteriumBorreliaand is one of the symptoms of a dangerous tick-borne disease -Lyme disease . It usually appears within 7-14 days after being bitten by a tick infected with this bacterium. It usually disappears spontaneously after about 1 month. If it stays longer, it means that the spirochetes have disseminated, i.e. the transition of cutaneous Lyme disease to the early disseminated form.

The characteristic blush with its appearanceresembles a shooting target : in the center there is an oval or round spot after the bite of this parasite, followed bypale circle. The erythemais closed by the red rim , which "wanders" further and larger every day. Wandering erythema may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms.

This type of rash is hard to miss becausethe diameter of the migratory erythema is min. 5 cm . It is a characteristic feature that allows us to distinguish it from a much lower allergic reaction that occurs after a tick or insect bite.

It should be noted, however, that the erythema appears only in some (various sources say that 30-40%) of people bitten by an infected tick.Its absence does not mean that you have not been infected with Lyme disease .

Migratory erythema - treatment

Blushingthe hiker is not treated - however, Lyme disease, the first sign of which may be erythema, must be treated. It is worth knowing that the sooner the therapy is started, the shorter it is and the greater the chance of complete recovery. Quickly cured Lyme disease leaves no damage to the body. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics - antibiotics from the penicillin group (amoxycycline), tetracyclines (e.g. doxycycline or minocycline) or cephalosporins (cefuroxime) may be used during the treatment

Ticks - how to outsmart them?

  • Imaginary Lyme Disease (Pseudo Lyme Disease)
  • Post-reliever syndrome - causes, symptoms and treatment
  • Chronic Lyme disease (chronic, late phase) - symptoms and treatment
  • How to remove a tick step by step

Category:

Research