Lone Star Tick bites can make you allergic to meat!

After being bit by a Lone Star tick, you may not be able to eat red meat as you may become allergic to it.

By: Shaloo Tiwari | | Updated: June 26, 2017 6:06 pm

Ticks are small external parasites that live by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Ticks survive by feeding on a diet of blood and can be found wherever their host species occur. Lone Star tick is one of the most dangerous ticks. When this small creature bites, it can cause health issues from food poisoning to severe allergic reactions. After being bitten by a Lone Star tick, you may not be able to eat red meat as you may become allergic to it. This is because the tick might carry Alpha-gal after biting some other mammal before biting you. That way your body creates Alpha-Gal antibodies and rewires itself to fight Alpha-Gal sugar molecules which are present in red meat. However, not everyone bitten by a lone star tick will contract red-meat allergy. There are other illnesses that you might affect you. Here are symptoms as suggested by Dr. Pradip Shah, Consultant Physician, HOD of Medicine Fortis. Also Read - Pasta, cheese and red meat are not really bad for weight loss: Here’s how to eat them healthily

Red spot or rash near the sting: Along with irritation around that area, the redness will also enhance, and the mark will be visible as the area will swell. You may have the rashes in one area or all over the body too, in a few cases. Also Read - Replacing red meat with plant foods ‘can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease’

Vomiting, Diarrhoea: The symptoms might seem like food poisoning and cause vomiting. Continuous vomiting along with the other symptoms may determine that Lone Star tick has bitten you. The Alpha-Gal travels through your gastrointestinal tract which in turn causes vomiting and diarrhoea. Also Read - 5 foods that may trigger an allergic reaction

Fever and body ache: You can get headaches or fever because the ticks transmit ehrlichiosis which is a bacterial illness. If you suffer from consistent fever and body ache along with other symptoms, there are chances a tick might have bitten you.

Weakness and difficulty in breathing: If you face breathing issues and weakness after eating red meat, it is one of the biggest symptoms. You must immediately consult a doctor.

Dizziness: Dizziness is a sign of low blood pressure which is one of the symptoms of being bitten by a lone star tick.

Joint pain: The Alpha gel inside your body might cause severe joint pains, and if you find a combination of joint pain and other symptoms, visit a doctor.

Image: Shutterstock

Published : June 26, 2017 5:55 pm | Updated:June 26, 2017 6:06 pm

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