Mom’s Post Warns Others About ‘Tick Paralysis’ Caused By Tick Bite

The summer is upon us, and for many, that means prime tick season. No one likes to think of those creepy crawly bugs jumping on us, but it’s important to know a thing or two about them””especially if you’ll be out in the wild. Even health officials are warning that this tick season will be especially bad. Ticks can cause all sorts of harm, from transporting Lyme disease to Colorado tick fever and more.  But if that’s not enough to motivate you to educate yourself, maybe this mom’s post about her daughter experiencing ‘tick paralysis’ after a tick bite will.

Amanda Lewis, a mom in East Oregon, noticed that her daughter Evelyn was acting rather peculiar one night. The child didn’t appear to want to stand up to change into her pajamas at bedtime and was acting “fussy.” Lewis kept observing her daughter into the next day, when Evelyn, “could barely walk, or crawl, and could hardly use her arms.” At this point, Lewish was much more concerned, as any parent would be. As Evelyn’s symptoms appeared to get even worse, Lewis whisked her daughter off the ER.

Fortunately, they were seen quickly and the doctor noted the problem right away: tick paralysis.

“The doctor talked to us for a minute and said over the past 15 years he had seen about 7 or 8 children her age with identical symptoms and more than likely she had a tick. They looked her over, combed through her hair really well and sure enough found a tick hiding in her hair,” Lewis said on Facebook. You can see her viral post below, which has received over 544k shares, 56k reactions, and 17 million views.

What You Need To Know:

Here’s a few quick facts for all you mamas out there. Stay informed and aware and spread the info:

  • According to the ADLF, tick paralysis is “caused by over 40 species of ticks worldwide,” five of which are in North America.  Most cases in the U.S. have occurred in Rocky Mountain states, the Pacific Northwest and parts of the South.
  • It’s rarely found in humans, but when it is, it’s usually in kids under 10. (Important for parents of younger children to stay alert).
  • Symptoms include fatigue, muscle pain, and numbness of the legs within five to seven days of the tick bite and attachment. Soon after, you may experience paralysis in the lower and then upper extremities. If left untreated, the paralysis can affect the face and tongue, cause convulsions and respiratory failure, and even death.
  • Once diagnosed, treatment involves removing the tick(s) from the body (often found on the scalp), including all mouth parts.
  • Ways to avoid tick bites include wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, socks, and closed shoes when spending prolonged periods of time outdoors; avoiding walking through vegetation and stick to popular trails; using insect repellents with DEET, and performing self-examinations for ticks when you believe you may have been exposed.

(Image: Pexels / Pixabay)

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