Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
31 July 2012 12:06
A tick bite can have surprising and lingering effects
Strange but true, if a tick bites you, a steak may lose its appeal, scientists report.
A tick bite can kick-start a severe allergic reaction to red meat, researchers have found.
In the US, three cases of the bizarre reaction were identified when patients had severe symptoms a few hours after a meal of red meat.
Tick bites, specifically those from the Lone Star tick, were found to trigger the delayed allergic response, experts found.
The tick injects a carbohydrate compound into the bloodstream when it bites. This compound is also present in meat. The tick bite triggers the human immune system to act up the next time it faces the compound.
When a bite victim next takes his own bite of red meat, the result can be an outbreak of hives, or even potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.
Virginia Commonwealth University researcher Dr Susan Wolver and her colleagues described their work in the Journal of Internal Medicine:
"Where ticks are endemic, for example in the south-eastern United States, clinicians should be aware of this new syndrome when presented with a case of anaphylaxis. Current guidance is to counsel patients to avoid all mammalian meat - beef, pork, lamb and venison."
Travellers planning a trip to the US, particularly the south-eastern area of the country, may want to consider buying medical travel insurance before departure.
19 April 2018
A self-injected smart drug may be the key to easing and preventing pain for migraine sufferers.
[more...]
17 April 2018
Despite its reputation as a party drug, ketamine is licensed as an anaesthetic. A recent US study found use of the drug via a nasal spray led to "significant" improvements in depressive symptoms in the first 24 hours.
Simple brain-training exercises carried out at home have been shown to reduce emotional stress in female breast cancer survivors, it's recently been revealed.
13 April 2018
Drinkers who consume more alcohol than UK guidelines suggest could be cutting years off their lives, according to new research.
12 April 2018
A recent study has revealed that people who sustain brain injuries are at an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.
11 April 2018
Scientists have announced their latest breakthrough in the battle against Alzheimer's disease, after neutralising a high-risk gene in a human brain cell for the first time.
07 April 2018
The Philippines is set to shut its most famous holiday island of Boracay for six months, after the President described it as a "cesspool".
05 April 2018
Taxes on soft drinks, alcohol and tobacco - nicknamed "sin taxes" - could be a powerful step towards combating rising rates of chronic diseases worldwide, research has suggested.
New "one-stop shops" to speed up cancer diagnosis are being trialled across the country for the first time.
30 March 2018
Doctors should tell patients that e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking but not without risk, according to new national guidance.
29 March 2018
Young people suffering from mental health problems are finding it hard to get the support they need, a survey has revealed.
28 March 2018
Children exposed to epilepsy drugs in the womb may achieve poorer test results at school, a study has suggested.