That was yum. Our tomatoes grew so well! Oh yeah! Food just tastes that much better when you know that it was your own hard work into making it. It came from your own backyard where you watched it grow every day and you develop this rel— Hey Grill, don’t panic but I think you got a lil’ bug buddy on you. Jesus Mary Joseph is that a tick on me? Aren’t these things diseased? They sure are Grill! Ticks carry many different diseases. From Lyme disease, to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, various tick species harbor a plethora of different illnesses. But did you know, boys, that after just one tick bite, you may never be able to eat red meat again? Why would I grow produce if I can’t eat it with dead animal flesh!? I’ve never heard of this. A Peanut allergy, sure. A shellfish allergy, plausible, but meat? Uh-uh. It’s actually more common than you’d think. American mother Annia Contreras, was working in her garden one afternoon, and as she went to have a shower after, she found a tick embedded into her body. She says that she’d lived in areas with lots of ticks her whole life, and had been bitten several times before. She removed the tick as she normally would and went about her business. Soon after, while she was watching TV, her feet and hands began to itch. She didn’t think much of it, and assumed that she had gotten some irritant on her skin while gardening, but things began to deteriorate. Soon came the hives, headaches, mind fog, and exhaustion. Contreras went to her GP, and the two of them used the elimination rule by checking different allergens to see if she would react. Her doctor also offered treatment in the form of steroids and allergy meds, but nothing seemed to work. One day, while she was at home, Contreras saw a segment on the news about an ailment that would explain her experiences: Alpha Gal Syndrome. She went to her doctor and got tested. It came back positive. She finally had a diagnosis. But even with this knowledge, her life would be forever changed. She was forced to cut all red meat out of her diet, essentially starting a vegan lifestyle, but still she continued to suffer from chronic hives, and lost over 170 pounds. Symptoms of Alpha Gal Syndrome are basically the same as any other food allergy, including hives and itching skin, runny nose, gastrointestinal issues, headaches, and, in some severe cases, swelling of the lips, face, and throat which can get so bad, you go into anaphylaxis. In other words, suffocating on your own tongue! My throat feels itchy. Am I swelling up? No, I think you’re fine. Common allergic reactions occur within a few minutes of exposure, but Alpha Gal allergies usually take place three to six hours after consumption. This complicates diagnosis of the allergy, since you could be exposed to a myriad of other common allergens before realizing you’re having a reaction. So if you’re gonna die, it won’t happen until a few hours from now. Oh, thank God. What? Alpha Gal allergies isn’t just an allergy to red meat. It’s more specifically an allergy to a carbohydrate that exists inside mammalian cells except for apes, old world monkeys, and us humans, called Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, otherwise known as Alpha Gal. Allergens include: mammal tissue, dairy, gelatin, carrageenan, and in some severe cases, just the fumes from meals using any meat that contains Alpha Gal. So wait, what do tick-buddies have to do with Alpha Gal? Since humans don’t synthesize Alpha Gal, healthy individuals generally have an adequate immune response to it. When a tick that contains Alpha Gal in their saliva introduces the molecule to our bodies through bites, our immune systems react to Alpha Gal as if it were a toxin. From then on, whenever you consume Alpha Gal—in mammal meat or other byproducts of mammals—your body recognizes it as a threat, and attacks. So let me get this straight—allergies are pretty much just our bodies overreacting to things that otherwise aren’t even that bad? Exactly! Much like with other food allergies, and seasonal allergies, the substance that elicits the reaction isn’t really a toxin, your body just recognizes it as a toxin, and goes hog wild. Hog wild, yeah. Real cute. I’m glad you’re having fun, but some of us have to deal with being allergic to meat now. So a little compassion would be greatly appreciated. You’re not necessarily allergic yet, Grill. Not all ticks carry Alpha Gal. Species that have been associated with the allergy include: the Lone Star Tick from the States, the Castor Bean Tick from Europe, the Australian Paralysis Tick from, obviously, Australia, and a handful of other species throughout the rest of the world. Suffice it to say though, there’s enough of them that you’d want to avoid contact. To be honest, you want to avoid ticks anyway, because Alpha Gal allergies aren’t the only condition these little bugs can pass on to us. Like Lyme disease! Which can lead to brain damage, and heart problems. To keep yourself from being bitten in the first place, wearing light colored clothing will make it harder for ticks to see you. It’s also helpful to wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible, including tucking in your shirt into your pants, and your pants into your socks. You should always check yourself and any pets for ticks when you come back inside, and showering after doing outdoor work will also help you find any you may have missed. Very informative. Now could you please tell me why is this helpful to me when I have one on me right now? I swear I’ll tear it out with my fingers if I have to! No no Grill don’t! Cause if you’re not careful you’ll just pull out the body and the mouth will get stuck inside you! Chill’s right. There are techniques to safely remove ticks, but there are even more ways to remove them improperly. First off, don’t agitate, squeeze, or twist them, as this can force them to eject more saliva into the wound. Don’t try to remove them with your fingers either. There are some urban myths that claim petroleum jelly, nailpolish, alcohol, gas, or essential oils will make ticks fall off, but they’re false. Oh, and most importantly, for you, Grill. Don’t burn them with a lighter, or a match. What you should do instead, is use a set of fine-tipped tweezers, or a specifically made tick remover card to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull up with a steady, yet gentle, force to ensure that the mouth doesn’t break off and get stuck under your skin. If you do happen to break off the mouth, just use the tweezers to pry it out as soon as possible. After you remove the tick, wipe down the area with alcohol, or soap and water to disinfect the wound. The CDC advises to dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet, drowning it in alcohol, or putting it into a plastic bag. I swear to God Brew I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do it. Oh God Brew, you better do what he says, he’s a boy on the edge. Ok, ok, ok. Let me see. Did you do it? Is it done!? I got it. Don’t worry. You’re gonna be just fine. The only thing you need to do now to prevent the allergy from developing is drink a glass of vinegar, while thinking about bald people. Aw Brew is that really nece— sh-sh-sh Uhh… Okay. Give me a kiss boo. OH GOD. It’s nice to go outside, especially when you’re stuck inside all day long, but with anything, there are risks involved. Whether it’s driving to work, or eating out at a restaurant, we make judgements about how safe we feel in any given moment. The problem with food allergies is that sometimes you just don’t know that you should fear something. A single bite could send your day spiraling out of control. Just, watch out for ticks, read the ingredients if you have any food allergies, and take the proper precautions when you go out. Oh gosh Brew, you better do what he says, cause—cause this boy’s on the edge… of glory, and I’m hanging on a moment with you! Hahaha.
