Article by Torsten Peterson, Wellness Assistant Manager
We are deep into tick season, deep enough for many of us to be wary of them or to be facing complications from them. Many of us are also wondering how we can be ready.
Despite all the preparation, we will likely encounter a tick at some point.
We may have a serious tick bite, and that tick may test positive for Lyme’s Disease, anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, etc. This is of course the time to see a doctor and discuss courses of treatment (antibiotics, etc.) that herbal protocols are not aiming to replace. What else can we do to prevent ourselves from becoming sick or reducing the severity of our experience?
Keeping the Immune System Ready
Taking care of our immune system long-term is the marathon surrounding the sprint to the tweezers. After a tick bite or after a co-infection diagnosis, after all, is not the ideal time to boost our immune reserves as this is the time we are already diverting reserves toward response.
One of my favorite herbs is Astragalus, an amazing immune-building herb well known for its association with Lyme disease response. While it is true Astragalus, like Cat’s Claw, has been found to improve specific immune pathways associated with Lyme response, this is not the only reason we like it in this arena. Astragalus assists with building our deep bone marrow immune system bank account and nourishes our kidneys and adrenal system. This helps us to later fight off not only Lyme disease but other co-infections as well, such as anaplasmosis, babesia, and Bartonella.
Astragalus can be taken as a powder, decoction, tincture, glycerite, or capsule. The dosage we are generally looking for is at least 1 gram (1000mg), with 3 grams being a dosage to aim for if you are looking to increase immune reserves quickly. Many people take 3 grams for a period of a few weeks and then back down to 1 gram for the remainder of tick season.
Medicinal mushrooms are another one of my favorite ways to deeply nourish the immune system on a broad level. Reishi and Turkey Tail are my favorites, but Chaga, Maitake, Artist’s Conk, and Agarikon are other popular favorites for boosting immune response, managing blood sugar and therefore assisting with immune function, and lowering the impact of stress on immune response.
There are many, many choices when it comes to supporting the immune system. I chose Astragalus and Medicinal Mushrooms because they are well suited to most people I meet. I also adore Tulsi Holy Basil more than words can express for her profound ability to protect us from the impact of stress on immune health while also directly supporting the immune response.
Keep in mind that Lyme disease hits us where we are weakest, and no one’s symptoms are the same. If you are prone to joint complaints, you are likely to struggle there if you later contract Lyme disease. Spirochetes consume collagenous tissue, which includes joint tissue but also includes the nerves. We can support the health of these tissues with the help of herbs such as Solomon’s Seal, which directs fluids towards the connective tissue, and neuroprotective Gotu Kola, which is well known in Ayurveda both for supporting nerve health and helping to heal neuromuscular damage. Mineral-rich diets are also essential for supporting these tissues. Aiming to incorporate seaweeds in the diet every day is a great place to start.
If you find yourself wondering, which one of these tick bites is going to be the one that gets me? Don’t wait to start supporting both your immune system and your weakest links in the body. Your weakest link may be joints, but it may be nervous system health, gut health, etc. If you are concerned about gut health, that is a great place to start, as our body will have a hard time facing any inflammatory obstacle if it is first working on the gut. Speak with one of us in Wellness if you want to know where to start, as gut health is a complex issue that can’t fit within this article.
Acute response:
Firstly, it is always ideal to save the tick and mail it to the Tick Lab at University of Maine, Orono. They can test your tick for pathogens. If it comes back positive for pathogens, go to the doctor as soon as possible. In the meantime, here are some steps you can take immediately after detaching the tick to potentially reduce the possibility of infection.
Katja and Ryn down at Commonwealth School of Holistic Herbalism, who rarely involve essential oils in their practice, especially applied directly, find that this actually is a moment when a SINGLE drop of an antiseptic essential oil such as oregano or thyme can be an excellent way to prevent infection of the site and kill pathogens remaining at the site of contact. Some people use clove as it is also pain relieving. This must be done ONCE, and only once, and is not a method to use if we have a dozen tick bites. This antiseptic property will not move through the blood. It is locally effective.
A classic way to respond to a tick bite after this application is to now apply a clay poultice. Mix bentonite or green clay with an immune-boosting tincture such as Cat’s Claw, Andrographis, or a mixture of Andrographis and Japanese Knotweed such as in Radiant Garden’s Tick Bite Topical tincture. Use your senses to reach a consistency that is neither clumpy nor runny. Apply this mixture every 12 hours for 5 days, and keep secure with a bandage.
This is when many people will begin to take an herb to improve their immune response. Popular choices include Cat’s Claw, Andrographis, Japanese Knotweed, and even our versatile echinacea. Cat’s Claw is an excellent choice for most, as it reduces overall levels of inflammation in the body alongside its capacities to increase immune response pathways associated with Lyme and anaplasmosis response. Cat’s Claw is also considered to be within the adaptogen category by many and may help to reduce the impact of stress on the healing process.
Tick Bite Topical tincture from Radiant Garden can actually be taken both internally and applied externally. Radiant Garden made a choice to label it as a topical, as Andrographis interacts with some pharmaceutical medications and may not be suitable for all people. If you are not on any of these medications, this preparation of Andrographis and Japanese Knotweed is an excellent choice for tick response inside and out. Personally, I would take 1mL of the blend 3x a day for the first 10 days. If you run dry constitutionally, I would pair this with a moistening herb such as marshmallow root internally, as both of these herbs are quite drying.
If what you have on hand is echinacea, this can also be taken 1mL 3x per day. This is an ideal choice for children as well.
My teacher Katja says that if we have echinacea in our hands, we also need to swear we will get 9-10 hours of sleep tonight and eliminate added sugar and caffeine while wanting a boosted immune response. Sometimes, we may push ourselves beyond our median capacity, but when we are asking our bodies to be their best immune selves, that is not the time. We need to meet immune-boosting herbs halfway with ample sleep. Why no caffeine? When we expose our systems to stimulants, we request an endocrine response from them that is not devoted to fighting inflammation. This is also true of high sugar intake, as doses of added sugar over 50 grams (half our daily consumption) taken at one time have been shown to interfere with immune function due to the demand on the endocrine system to divert resources towards insulin.
Scents and ticks:
Ticks are attracted to our scent, heat, and humidity. Anything we can do to throw off these capacities can be helpful in warding off ticks. Be mindful of your personal body odor when going outside, both through reducing our own scent as well as masking it.
Preparing with a tick spray is an excellent way to disrupt ticks’ heat-sensing and olfactory capacities. The novel study in the sources below demonstrates that citronellol-containing repellants confuse the tick’s senses at concentrations lower than those needed to impact olfactory capacities. We carry multiple essential oil blends, such as Flick the Tick, Nantucket Spider, and Buggle, which can be very effective against ticks.
Many people also want to make their own, especially since essential oils are on sale through the end of June. It is important to properly dilute essential oils, especially when applying daily and over large areas of the body. Start with a concentration of 1% before increasing. Personally, I emulsify essential oil in vegetable glycerin before adding water. This improves the stay of the spray on the skin/fur as well as decreases chance of irritation. Here is a recipe for 1% concentration when assuming 1mL=25 drops.
In a 4oz (120mL) spray bottle, add:
1 tablespoon (15mL) vegetable glycerin
30 drops of essential oil such as geranium, lemongrass, citronella, clove, eucalyptus, etc.
Water to fill
Find your comfort level. Some people may find a spray containing 5% essential oil comfortable, and a spray containing 10% essential oil may be acceptable if kept to the socks alone. 5% would be 150 drops, and 10% would be 300.
Keep in mind that citronellol-containing sprays are not ideal for pets. For pets, stick to geranium oil. While the geranium plant is toxic for dogs to ingest, the oil is safe. Unlike many other options, geranium is also a safe option for cats. For pets, start with a concentration of .5% and test efficacy. This would be 15 drops in 4oz.
For further research –
Lyme Library – ProjectLyme.org
Steven Buhner’s books on the top of this list describe some of the leading herbal methods for addressing Lyme and its coinfections, but they are by no means the only ones. Project Lyme has compiled many concepts regarding healing Lyme’s Disease to help people know there are many paths to achieving wellness again while navigating Lyme’s.
On the herbs:
A Holistic Herbal Tick Bite Protocol – Commonwealth School of Holistic Herbalism
First Aid Kits for Everyone – Commonwealth School of Holistic Herbalism
A Holistic Approach to Lyme’s Disease (course)
Autumn 2020 Harvest Herald see: page 6
On ticks:
Are ticks attracted to certain scents? – East End Tick Control
Up Close Look at the Tiny Sensory Pits Ticks Use to Smell – Entomology Today
Ticks home in on body heat – a novel study by Ann L Carr and Vincent L Salgado
Submit Ticks to UMaine Extension
This article is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. If you are experiencing symptoms after a tick bite, seek medical help as soon as possible.
