TICKS - Gross and Growing

Ticks are tiny parasites that feed on blood. They are not bugs…as they’re arachnids like spiders.

And even though their descriptions sound simple enough, they are causing some major issues.

The medical field is paying increasing attention to them because they can carry bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens that cause disease in people.

And they’re growing in their destructive power.

We’ve worried about ticks for a long time. Rocky Mountain spotted fever was recognized in the United States more than a century ago. Lyme disease became widely recognized in the 1970s. Since then, the list of tick-related conditions has only grown.

Which is what concerns me.

Ticks are not just a “deep woods” problem that hikers and hunters run into anymore.

They are showing up in more places, during longer seasons, and in areas where patients may not expect them. CDC data shows tick-borne diseases have increased significantly in the U.S. The agency has reported that cases more than doubled between 2004 and 2016, and Lyme disease alone may be diagnosed and treated in about 476,000 Americans each year.

Yikes!

Why is this happening?

Good question - and I’ll discuss that, the diseases they may carry, and how to prevent them (naturally) from becoming an issue for you and your family

Tick Populations Are Following This Alarming Pattern

There’s not one thing in particular that’s causing the explosion in tick populations. And I won’t be addressing theories that Bill Gates is responsible for their growth because he has a Lyme vaccine coming.

Not because I believe it’s not true, but rather, even if it is true, it doesn’t change the problems we have to deal with.

Ultimately, one factor driving tick growth is local weather patterns.

Warmer seasons can extend tick activity.

Additionally, suburban expansion pushes people into closer contact with tick habitat. Deer, mice, birds, and other animals help ticks move and reproduce. More testing and awareness can also identify cases that may have been missed years ago. 

In plain language: the tick map is changing.

And patients need to know what that means.

The Main Tick-Borne Diseases Patients Hear About

When people think about ticks and their diseases, they think of the deadly diseases like Rocky Mounted Spotted fever and the debilitating ones like Lyme disease.

But those aren’t the only ones.

Let’s go through them one by one.

1- Lyme Disease:

Lyme is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. It is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and is usually spread by blacklegged ticks. Early symptoms may include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, and sometimes the classic expanding “bull’s-eye” rash, though not everyone gets that obvious rash.

The CDC notes that many tickborne diseases can look similar early on, which is why timing, geography, symptoms, and clinical judgment matter.

2 - Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis:

Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are bacterial infections that often look like a bad flu at first: fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. 

These are not infections to sit on for a week “just to see.” Early treatment matters. A review from the American Academy of Family Physicians notes that suspected rickettsial infections, including anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, should be treated before lab confirmation when clinical suspicion is high.

3 - Babesiosis:

Babesiosis is different because it is caused by a parasite that infects red blood cells. 
Some people have mild symptoms. Others, especially older adults, people without a spleen, or those with weakened immune systems, can become seriously ill. It can cause fever, chills, fatigue, anemia, and shortness of breath.

4 - Alpha-gal syndrome

 Alpha-gal syndrome is one of the stranger tick-related problems, and one that I’m really concerned about.

It is an allergic condition often linked to Lone Star tick bites. Instead of causing a standard infection, the bite can trigger an immune reaction to alpha-gal, a sugar found in mammalian meat. Some patients later react to beef, pork, lamb, or other mammal-derived products.

That can be confusing because reactions may be delayed by several hours.

5 - Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is one I take very seriously. 

Despite the name, it is not limited to the Rocky Mountains. It can cause fever, headache, rash, nausea, and muscle pain, and it can become life-threatening quickly. The same AAFP review notes that RMSF has a higher mortality rate than many other tickborne diseases, and early doxycycline is recommended when suspicion is high.

There are others, but these are the most common in the U.S. Since they can start out vaguely, as soon as you confirm you have a tick embedded, you should remove it, have it tested, and then monitor for symptoms.

Here Are the Treatment Options For These Diseases

Treatment Starts With Good Medical Care

When I talk about integrative care and tick-borne illness, I want to be very clear: integrative support does not replace appropriate diagnosis or antibiotic treatment when treatment is needed.

There are some techniques that help, but they don’t cure these diseases outright.

For Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, timely medical treatment can help prevent serious complications.

Babesiosis may require specific antiparasitic therapy.

Alpha-gal syndrome is managed differently because it is an allergy, not an infection.

The integrative piece centers on the terrain: immune resilience, inflammation, recovery, gut health, sleep, and prevention.

For example, antibiotics are often necessary for tickborne infections, but they can disrupt the gut microbiome. A 2021 systematic review found that probiotics reduced the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in adults by about 37%.

That does not mean every probiotic is right for every patient, but it does suggest that gut support during antibiotic use can be reasonable when chosen carefully.

Some patients also develop persistent symptoms after Lyme treatment, including fatigue, pain, and brain fog.

The CDC notes that these symptoms can occur after appropriate antibiotic treatment and that patients should work with a healthcare provider to evaluate other possible causes and build a treatment plan (we do a lot with Lyme at our clinic).

Here’s where I think integrative medicine can be helpful.

Take sleep, for instance, it is critical because immune repair happens in rhythm. Protein matters because the body cannot rebuild without raw materials. Blood sugar stability matters because metabolic stress can amplify inflammation. Gentle movement can help circulation and function, but patients with severe fatigue or post-exertional crashes may need pacing rather than “push harder” advice.

Harvard’s Lyme Wellness Initiative makes a similar point: symptom-management strategies such as rest, pacing, mind-body therapies, and lifestyle practices may help some patients feel better, but they are not treatments for the infection itself, and evidence in Lyme populations remains limited.

If you can help get other systems in the body working at full function, it can positively support how you feel.

There are other medical/integrative treatment plans that can help a patient get better, but they are best developed in a setting with a physician who knows what they’re doing.

Prevention Is Still the Best Medicine

With ticks, prevention of bites is key.

You can’t get a tick-borne disease if you never get bitten.

The CDC recommends EPA-registered repellents containing ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, and IR3535. But many people avoid these chemicals (and for good reason).

Naturally, there are options like oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. For families wanting a more natural-leaning option, oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD may be worth considering, but there are reasons to avoid using them on children under 3.

Permethrin-treated clothing is another strong tool (this is somewhat natural).

This works by spraying it on clothing and gear, letting it dry, and then it will repel for up to 25 washes. Do not put it directly on the skin. Studies of outdoor workers suggest that long-lasting permethrin-treated clothing can significantly reduce tick bites, though people still need tick checks and smart habits.

Some more basics are boring but effective: wear long pants in tall grass, tuck pants into socks when hiking, stay near the center of trails, shower after being outdoors, and check the scalp, behind the ears, underarms, waistband, groin, and behind the knees. Ticks like the dark, sweaty places.

At home, prevention starts with habitat. Basically, don’t make a home for ticks, and they won’t make a home on you.

The things you can do around the house are simple. 

• Remove leaf litter

• Clear tall grass and brush

• Mow frequently

• Stack wood neatly

• Create a three-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas.

I like this personally because it works with the environment rather than pretending that sprays alone solve everything. Yard treatments may reduce ticks, but who wants to add more chemicals to their house/yard?

This Is When to Worry about Ticks…

Yes, ticks are small, and yes, the problems they cause can be big.

The good news is that you are not powerless.

You’ve been armed with the essential knowledge to be able to prevent them from creating problems in your life.

You know the diseases, you know the symptoms, and you take prevention seriously.

Remember, if you find one, remove ticks promptly and thoroughly. Call for care if fever, rash, severe fatigue, joint pain, headache, or flu-like symptoms appear after possible exposure.

And do not wait too long.

In tick-borne illness, timing can make all the difference.

Also, if you do get bitten and remove one, you can use these websites to check if the tick has the disease or not:

TickReport
https://www.tickreport.com/

TickCheck
https://www.tickcheck.com/

Ticknology
https://www.ticknology.org/