The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) enumerates over 15 distinct diseases and syndromes directly attributable to tick bites. This extensive list underscores the importance of awareness and prevention when it comes to ticks and the potential health implications of their bites.
One such condition that may not be as widely recognized but is equally significant is Alpha-gal syndrome. This syndrome is an allergic reaction to a carbohydrate found in the meat of mammals and is triggered by a tick bite. The symptoms can range from mild to severe and can include allergic reactions to certain types of meat.
In conclusion, while Lyme disease remains a critical concern, it’s essential to broaden our understanding and awareness of the myriad of health challenges posed by tick bites. Knowledge is power, and staying informed is the first step in prevention and timely intervention.
The Stuff Of Nightmares
You are bitten by the tick, and a meat and dairy allergy develops. Yes, this is the stuff of nightmares. Not just no more steak for you; or no more ice cream cones. The list of foods that contain mammalian ingredients is long, including some vaccines, and medications. It’s a life altering syndrome that you do not want be dealing with.
CDC reports that between 2010 and 2022, more than 110,000 suspected cases of Alpha-gal were identified, and similar to Lyme disease, there are believed to be many more, unreported.
What The Heck Is Alpha-Gal?
This odd sounding medical syndrome, referred to as AGS, is called alpha-gal after the galactose-α-1,3-galactose sugar molecule found in meats and products made from mammals (including gelatin, cow’s milk, and milk products).
What Are Alpha-Gal Symptoms?
AGS is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic condition. You literally become allergic to red meat, and sometimes dairy, too, as a result of a tick bite.
AGS reactions include rash, nausea/vomiting, indigestion, heartburn, cough, shortness of breath, drop in blood pressure, swelling if lips, tongue and/or eye lids, dizziness, fatigue, severe stomach pain, and anaphylactic shock (anaphylaxis).
Alpha-Gal Makes The Headlines
The June 23, 2023 issue of People magazine profiled Katie Cahoj, an elementary school teacher from Pomona, Missouri. She developed a small welt on her leg in the summer of 2020, and thought nothing of it.
Turns out, she had been bitten by a tick and developed AGS. At one point, her husband had to rush her to the ER where she ended up in near-fatal anaphylactic shock.
Beware The Lone Star Tick
AGS is primarily associated with the bite of a lone star tick in the United States, but the research on this medical syndrome is in its infancy. Bites from other types of ticks have not been ruled out.
When Do AGS Symptoms Appear?
Symptoms typically appear 2 to 6 hours after eating meat or dairy products. Take note that symptoms can occur after exposure to products containing alpha-gal such as gelatin-coated medications, gelatin being a meat-based ingredient. You have to become an educated label reader.
What Are AGS Symptoms Like?
AGS reactions can vary person-to-person and range from mild to severe, or even life-threatening. Anaphylaxis, which is a potentially life-threatening reaction involving multiple organ systems, requires immediate medical care.
To complicate and confuse matters, people may not have an allergic reaction after every alpha-gal exposure. In other words, you have been bitten by the tick, have the potential to react to exposure to alpha-gal molecules, but sometimes you have a reaction, while other times you do not.
Who Gets AGS?
AGS can affect anyone, young or old, male or female. Most cases in the United States have been reported by adults living in the South, East, and Central United States. Always conduct tick checks on yourself and loved ones each and every time you come in from outside if you live in tick prone areas.
How Do I Know if I Have AGS?
A medical doctor and allergist should diagnose AGS. They will look at blood work for specific antibodies to alpha-gal. Allergy skin testing might also be suggested.
How Is AGS Managed?
Your allergist or healthcare provider will help you with the best approach. You need to learn what foods and edible items (like medications) contain alpha-gal, so you know what to avoid.
Note that not all AGS patients will have reactions to every item consumed that contains alpha-gal.
Katie Cahoj wasn’t going to let her alpha-gal diagnosis hold her back. She has written the Alpha-Gal Cooks cookbook, to help others.
Note that the CDC also states, “Although very rare, some people with severe AGS may react to ingredients in certain vaccines or medications. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking a new medication or receiving a vaccine.”
How Can I Prevent AGS?
Tick prevention is the key to prevent AGS, as well as over 15 other tick borne diseases and syndromes.
- Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or buy pre-treated items.
- Tuck pants into socks; do not wear loose legged pants.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.
- Wear light colored clothing so you can detect ticks more easily.
- Avoid grassy, brushy, and wooded areas.
- Walk in the center of trails.
- Examine clothing, gear, pets, and your body for ticks.
- Shower and Perform a thorough tick check, then shower.
- If you find an attached tick, remove it immediately.
- Take steps to prevent ticks on your pets and in your yard.
Will I Have AGS Forever?
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome may lessen or even disappear over time. It is vital to minimize tick exposure, as subsequent tick bites can exacerbate reactions. Some of those afflicted have been able to reintroduce mammal food products again after 1 to 2 years – if they don’t experience any more tick bites.
Loneliness: A Growing Health Crisis. Are These 6 Steps Enough To Combat it?
The U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory in May 2023 stating that there is an epidemic of loneliness in our country, and that this lack of connecting can increase the risk for premature death. The report explains that this is not due to COVID, and in fact pre-dates that epidemic. In a study prior to the COVID outbreak, about half of U.S. adults reported that they felt lonely.
Read: Loneliness: A Growing Health Crisis. Are These 6 Steps Enough To Combat it?
9 Ways Animals Have Revolutionized Your Medical Care
If you are sick or injured, and a medical doctor suggests a drug or procedure, we most often accept the recommendation. In the case of emergencies, sometimes we are subject to treatment without having a heart-to-heart discussion with the doctor about the hows and whys. If we are healed, we are grateful. But how much do you know about all the medical care you receive? Were animals involved? Here are 9 ways that animals have greatly impacted our medical care – and we are thankful for it.
Read: 9 Ways Animals Have Revolutionized Your Medical Care
