While being bitten by a tick may seem like a temporary problem, not many people realize that it could have potentially very serious complications. One of the most common and serious complications of a tick bite is the development of rocky mountain spotted fever – a condition that progresses very rapidly, thereby requiring very prompt treatment. The condition is not contagious and does not spread directly from one human being to another. Rocky Mountain spotted fever derives its name from the fact that the condition was first known to occur in the Rocky Mountain region of the United Stated of America. Although rare, it is possible for the condition to be fatal. For yet unknown reasons, white skinned people have twice the likelihood of developing rocky mountain fever, while African Americans have a higher fatality rate when they do get infected. Men are also almost twice as likely to suffer from the condition that when compared to women. The highest fatality reading is at 5% and occurs in the age group of children younger than 5 years. Some of the more common symptoms that start to develop when affected by rocky mountain spotted fever include a sudden fever which may last for up to a couple of weeks as well as a sever headache and tiredness, deep muscle pain, nausea, chills and a rash. There is usually an incubation period of a couple of days for the condition to develop after the bacteria gains access to the body. Individuals that live in tick infested areas or have a number of pets are at a higher risk than others when it comes to suffering from Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Treatment for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
The main method of prevention against the condition would be to effectively control or eradicate the tick population around the area you live. Make sure your pets are tick free and also mow your grass on a regular basis as this is where the ticks most commonly wait to attach themselves onto their hosts. When you have been bitten by a tick, make it a point to remove the tick from your skin immediately. However, be very careful while doing so as you do not want to separate the body from the head of the tick as this could lead to contamination of the skin. The best method would be to use a pair of tweezers and grab the tick by the head and pull it out.