March(ing) of the Ticks
It’s the most wonderful time of the year here in Pennsylvania. The weather is starting to get warmer, the sun is coming out more and more, the days are getting longer and brighter, and our plants are awakening from their winter slumber. What's not to love?
Enter ticks.
Due to both changing weather patterns and land use, ticks in Pennsylvania have exploded exponentially in the last 5 years. Before we all go and jump on blaming the deer population for transporting them (spoiler alert: Ticks are found on many mammals and reptiles), let’s take a more nuanced position and look at this from a few different lenses.
The reason ticks have become such a hot topic in the last few years, is that they are one of the carriers of Lyme Disease and several co-infections. So much so that they are often considered nature's dirty needle because they potentially can carry a cocktail of bacteria in them. In this post, we will discuss why ticks are exploding, why they are a problem, how to test for lyme and co-infections, and what to do if you test positive (or negative, because testing is notorious for providing false negatives).
Oh The Weather Outside is…Weather
Have you noticed the shifting weather patterns over the past several years here in Pennsylvania? The winters are getting warmer and wetter, and the summer comes in hot (and humid). This is one of the main reasons for the sudden explosion (and yes that is an appropriate term here) of ticks. One of the main factors that help ticks survive is humidity in the air. Increased humidity can help ticks survive because they can absorb the water in the air. Ironically, ticks can survive for months without feeding, which can make it hard to eradicate them if they get into your home (more on that later, and yes it’ll make your skin crawl). However, if they don’t feed and they are in an area with less humidity, they can dry out and die quite quickly. Unfortunately here in Pennsylvania, we don’t lack humidity nor do we have prolonged spells of dry heat in the summer. Basically, we are a tick’s saving grace with these factors alone
Another reason for the explosion of ticks is from forest fragmentation and land use changes. When forests get broken into smaller patches by new housing, roads, utility corridors, and “pretty backyard woods,” you end up with forest edge; the brushy, humid border zone ticks thrive in (and a lot more daily overlap between people, pets, deer, and ticks). Urbanization and landscape fragmentation are expanding tick habitats and helping ticks show up in places they weren’t as common before, which fits what many communities are experiencing across the state. On top of that, smaller forest fragments tend to lose some of the wildlife diversity that helps keep tick infection cycles in check. Research has linked smaller forest patches to higher densities of infected nymphal ticks (the life stage most likely to spread Lyme). Zoom back out, and regional reporting has connected forest development/fragmentation in Pennsylvania with rising Lyme disease pressure, which is a practical “signal” that tick-human contact is increasing as land use shifts. In fragmented landscapes, ticks are more likely to feed on efficient disease reservoirs like mice, which increases the prevalence of illnesses such as Lyme disease. Forest fragmentation a significant public health concern across Pennsylvania. Whewf that was a mouth full.
The “Things”
Once upon a time, I lived on a quiet 5 acre wooded property, surrounded by suburban homes, and buffered by patches of woods. One day in late August 2020, I noticed what looked like a horrible dermatitis rash on my daughter. We had just gotten chickens, so I chalked it up to chicken mites. I was able to secure one of the “mites” and show it to our pediatrician. Dumbfounded at this tiny size of a pinhead thing, my physician just shrugged his shoulders. We spent the next few days treating this issue like a full on flea infestation (and no they weren’t fleas), and washed EVERYTHING, sprinkled diatomaceous earth on the floors, washed them, steamed them, and eventually the rash subsided on my daughter.
Fast forward to August 2022. My dogs were playing around in the front yard, and having the time of their lives. My one dog Archie, has a short light tan coat, so it is very easy to spot anything (and also saves me money on grooming). When I brought the dogs in the house from their fun in the sun, I went to wash Archie’s paws off. I noticed nothing short of 100’s (no exaggeration) of tiny black dots moving on his underside. Instantly filled with fear, I feverishly washed him off, while making sure to isolate one of these things. Turns out, it looked exactly the same as the other “thing” I saw two years prior that caused the rash (or cluster of crazy amounts of bites) on my daughter! If you are a visual learner, I highly recommend you to watch this brief news clip to drive the point home.
Why Ticks Present a Problem
I’m all about living in harmony with nature and the ecosystem, but I truly struggle to understand the purpose that ticks have in the food chain. There are plenty of other bugs that animals can eat, but I digress. Why should we care so much about these little assholes (I had to say it). I’ll name a few heavy hitters: Lyme Disease, Alpha Gal Syndrome and Co-Infections (the biggest being Bartonella). I know I’m walking into some heavily conflicted waters here, but what I’m about to share may help someone find answers to some of the issues that they may have been experiencing, and honestly, that’s what I care most about.
First up, what is Lyme Disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted to you through the bite of an infected black-legged tick (and also biting flies and mosquitos). It can affect your skin, joints, nervous system, and heart, but by no means is this an exhaustive list. Early signs often include fatigue, fever, body aches, and sometimes a circular rash that may look like a bull’s-eye. Please note, the bullseye rash from a tick may or may not happen, so don’t get hung up on whether or not the rash presents itself. You can still get Lyme and/or any co-infections without the presentation of a rash. If you are able to notice and remove a tick, it is always prudent to save it to get tested to see what it is carrying. I usually send the ticks that bite either my family or my animals to this PA Lab. The earlier you can start to treat yourself, the better. If you notice a tick bite and start to feel crummy three-ish days after you remember getting bit, please advocate for yourself to get on at least a broad spectrum antibiotic that can cover almost all of the co-infections and Lyme Disease. This quote is directly from the ILADS website:
“Evidence indicates that 20 days of prophylactic antibiotic treatment may be highly effective for preventing the onset of Lyme disease after known Ixodes tick bite. Patients with early Lyme disease may be best served by receiving 4-6 weeks of antibiotic therapy. Cases of chronic B. burgdorferi infection require individualized treatment plans.”
If Lyme and co-infections aren’t recognized, caught and treated early, issues can then become chronic, and I will save that for another blog post.
Alpha Gal
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a tick-associated food allergy that develops after a bite from the Lone Star tick. This tick can trigger your immune system to react to a sugar molecule called galactose-α-1,3-galactose (“alpha-gal”) found in mammalian meat like beef, pork, lamb, and in some animal-derived products (also gelatin supplement capsules, beauty products, etc.). Unlike most food allergies that flare within minutes, alpha-gal reactions often show up 3–6 hours after you eat, which can make the connection easy to miss. You might notice hives, itching, swelling of the lips or throat, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, or lightheadedness. In some cases, symptoms can escalate to anaphylaxis. Because the Lone Star tick has expanded its range across Pennsylvania and much of the East Coast, awareness matters, especially if you spend time outdoors and start noticing unusual reactions after red meat. Treatment for AGS is very complex, so please make sure to find a physician that is proficient in this specialized area.
Lyme Disease Co-infections
Here in Pennsylvania, when you’re talking about Lyme disease, you’re often talking about more than one infection at a time. Some of the co-infections that ticks (and other insects) can carry are Babesiosis (known for drenching night sweats, air hunger, and profound fatigue), Mycoplasma (lingering fatigue, joint pain, respiratory symptoms, and immune system stress), Bartonella (burning foot pain, swollen lymph nodes, neurological symptoms, mood shifts, streak-like rashes), Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis (both often presenting with sudden fever, headache, muscle aches, and flu-like symptoms), and in rare cases Powassan virus, which can affect the nervous system. When you understand that one tick bite can introduce multiple organisms, it helps explain why symptoms can feel layered: Joint pain mixed with brain fog, exhaustion paired with anxiety, chills alongside air hunger. It’s not just “Lyme.” It’s your body responding to a more complex microbial picture, hence why again, ticks and biting insects are called nature’s dirty needles
Spotlight: Bartonella
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Bartonella is a group of bacteria that can be transmitted to you through tick bites, but also scratches or bites from infected cats (often called cat scratch disease), fleas, or other biting insects. Once inside the body, Bartonella can affect your blood vessels, nervous system, and immune system. In some individuals, especially when the infection becomes chronic, it has been associated with significant neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, agitation, cognitive changes, and in rare cases, symptoms that resemble schizophrenia. Google, “Bartonella Rage” to understand this point further. Researchers have observed that inflammation in the brain, vascular irritation, and immune activation triggered by Bartonella may contribute to these psychiatric presentations. This is an emerging area of study, and growing awareness highlights the importance of considering infectious and inflammatory contributors when complex mental health symptoms appear. You can read more about how the antibiotic common;u prescribed to eradicated Bartonella (and Lyme), doxycycline has helped schizophrenic patients here
Lyme Disease and the “ID”
I would be remiss if I didn’t include a little blurb about what happened to us over the past 6ish years, and the emergence of a new player in the common illnesses we get. Before late 2019 into 2020 and beyond, a lot of us were able to handle a lot more in our lives. After this time period, it seems as if that has taken a little bit of a detour. Everyone’s lives have changed since then, and unfortunately we aren’t going back to the way things were. I won’t get into the many reasons why, however there is one glaring topic we can discuss. At this point, everyone has had at least one go around with the “ID”, and the first time you got it regardless of when, your immune system took a big hit and completely suppressed itself under this novel threat (along with the continual stress we faced during that time from the news, social media, isolation from friends and family, community, etc.). With that, if you had any underlying issues that your immune system was able to keep in check, that all flew out the window the first time you got hit with “ID”. Anything lying dormant in your system such as Lyme Disease, it’s co-infections, etc. now with a depressed immune system had a chance to make itself known.
So, What Now?
First off, take a deep breath. Stop reading this post and for 20 seconds, look at something 20 feet away. Don’t worry, this post will still be here when you get back.
Go ahead. Breathe in for 4 seconds
Out for 8 seconds.
Welcome back.
This is all pretty heavy stuff, and I get it. However if you live here in PA, this is the reality of our situation: No fluff. To help empower you on what to do, here are a few suggestions:
Treat your property - preferably with a mosquito and tick combo treatment with a company that knows what they are doing (and if they use chemicals, being mindful of what and why they use it AND they can explain it to you) The cheapest option from a company that uses a leaf blower may not be your safest or best option here. You can certainly use organic options if you want; just make sure you are protecting you and your family, and your fur babies.
Test - Thankfully you can test yourself without a script, but unfortunately the effective labs for lyme test are usually out of pocket. With that, you can test and talk to a Lyme Literate physician about your results and how to best move forward. Treatment for this is extremely, extremely nuanced, and one size absolutely does not fit all. If you take anything from this, please (i’ll say please 50 more times if need be) work with a Lyme literate physician that understands the nuances behind treating this. If you live in PA, CA or FL, here is a wonderful option for you.
Protect yourself- So you don’t wreck yourself. Because I live in the hot zone for Lyme disease, I broke up with using essential oils for protection, I’ve been through the wringer with chronic lyme and it’s co-infections, so I go straight for the juice. This is a good option, along with this. If you are in less of an endemic area, you can probably get away with the natural stuff, but not where Lyme is endemic.
Educate yourself - There is a sea of information out there on this subject matter; so much that you can dizzy yourself (and spend beaucoup bucks) on solutions, and jumping from doctor to doctor. As a guiding north star, I highly recommend reading the works of Dr. Neil Nathan, especially his latest book, along with the famed herbalist Stephen Harold Buhner. Buhner takes an extremely scientific and technical deep dive into all of the facets of Lyme disease, it’s co-infections and how to treat them using herbs, antibiotics, nutrition and supplements.
Reduce Your Stress - We think of the stress in our lives as large buckets such as family, finances, work, and that is completely valid. What we often fail to recognize are the microdose hits of stress we take in about 1,000 times a day. Stress from your thoughts about the past, and future. Stress from worrying about what your partner is up to. Stress about that weird symptoms your feeling. Stress from rehearsing the past and what you could have done differently. Stress from the news you watch. Stress from negative people who complain in your life. Stress from food obsessions. Stress from negative internal dialogue and so forth. If this is you, don’t stress (ironic). There are ways to shift your habits (keyword, habit) that are small and doable: Even for as little as a few minutes each day. Don’t laugh on how simple this can be. We (and by we, I mean your ego) LOVE to overcomplicate just about everything, including how to improve our health. It doesn’t have to be big at all, just consistent. If you want to learn more about how to help yourself, I highly recommend the community that I’m a part of and that I am proud to be an affiliate of.
Your Pearl of Wisdom
We can’t change our environment so readily as we can change our mindset and approach. I hope that you take this little pearl of wisdom away from this blog post. There are many truths that can co-exist at the same time, just like us humans living with these jerk ticks here in PA and elsewhere. Let this post be your guide when it comes to understanding the very real issue of the exploding tick population, the risks they carry if you get bit (or have been in the past), and how you can help yourself both regarding infection and prevention.
