Tick Bites: Prevention and Safe Removal

As spring and summer season strategy and we spend extra time outside, we additionally threat encountering ticks. Sadly, ticks aren’t simply biting bugs (technically, they don’t chunk -they sting). However they’re additionally infamous vectors for diseases like Lyme illness and Rocky Mountain noticed fever. 

Understanding tips on how to forestall tick bites is essential for staying safe throughout outside adventures. Right here’s tips on how to avoid tick bites and benefit from the nice outdoor worry-free.

Are Tick Bites Harmful?

In a phrase, sure. At the very least, they actually will be! Many people are conscious of the seriousness and widespread epidemic of Lyme illness, which is now extra widespread than breast most cancers. Whereas it’s attainable to contract Lyme in different methods, black-legged ticks are overwhelmingly accountable. Lyme illness comes from spirochete (spiral-shaped) micro organism known as Borrelia burgdorferi.

Different much less widespread tick-borne infections embrace noticed fever rickettsiosis (together with Rocky Mountain noticed fever), anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. There’s additionally ehrlichiosis, Colorado tick fever, and tularemia. It’s even attainable to get tick-borne encephalitis, aka, mind irritation.

Many of those infections trigger the identical signs as Lyme disease. Though these are much less widespread than Lyme, they’re accountable for a number of thousand instances of tick-related sickness in america annually.

Lyme illness could cause all kinds of signs. Some folks develop a persistent fever, rashes, or complications. Others have continual joint ache and swelling that could be misdiagnosed. Those that are particularly delicate could have allergic reactions to the micro organism. Some could even develop extreme or debilitating neurological problems. 

Lyme illness is an particularly troubling situation as a result of it may be tough to diagnose. Dr. Jay Davidson explains extra in this podcast.

The place Are Ticks a Drawback?

Circumstances of tick-borne illness are inclined to cluster across the northeastern United States. Nevertheless, in accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), no less than one case of Lyme illness has occurred in each state. Take a look at this map of instances reported by the CDC from 1990 by 2021.

Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine have the very best incidence price of Lyme instances. Information from 2022 exhibits a mean of about 200 instances per 100,000 individuals occurred in these three states. Midwestern states are additionally experiencing elevated instances in recent times. 

However Lyme isn’t restricted to the Northeast and the Midwest. As of 2015, nearly half the counties in america reported the presence of black-legged ticks. The CDC continues to observe the upward development.

Lyme illness is continuous to unfold to different states, so be proactive and do what you may to cut back your probabilities of tick bites. The spring and summer season are the very best threat, as ticks are busy hatching and in search of their subsequent meal. 

The right way to Examine for Ticks

Engorged ticks are simple to identify, however some will be as small as a pinhead. They like to cover in heat, moist, coated areas of the physique. 

First, bathe off to take away any unattached ticks. Then, fastidiously examine for ticks by totally analyzing the hair and again of the neck, utilizing your fingertips. Listed here are another locations ticks like to cover out:

• Behind arms
• Behind the knees
• In or across the ears
• Stomach button
• Between the legs
• Across the waist

Slightly than play naturalist, I’ll level you to the most effective tick identification device I’ve discovered. This handy chart that includes pictures of ticks lets you type by area, kind, maturity phases, feeding phases, and even by the illnesses numerous varieties of ticks could transmit. The deer tick (black-legged tick) is the principle one to look out for, however it’s not the one one which causes issues.

What to Do If You Discover a Tick

I’ll always remember the day I leaned in to take a look at a darkish spot on my child’s head, solely to discover a TICK feasting on her scalp. I want I may say I remained composed and knew precisely what to do, however that wasn’t the case in any respect…

After a couple of extra youngsters, I nonetheless don’t like coping with ticks, however I’ve discovered what to do after I encounter one. When you’re a seasoned father or mother or have pets, you’ve seemingly confronted this case earlier than. Nevertheless, if you happen to haven’t, right here’s what to do:

Examine to see if the tick is hooked up. When you spot a small, flat tick crawling in your garments, pores and skin, or flooring, it’s a superb signal, because it seemingly hasn’t bitten anybody or fed not too long ago. Nevertheless, if you happen to encounter a big tick with a swollen, spherical physique, it’s extra regarding as it could have already fed and indifferent from a pet or individual within the dwelling.

If unattached, don’t attempt to kill it. If the tick is unattached, resist the urge to crush, burn, or destroy it. (It’s exhausting, I do know.) Don’t contact the tick together with your naked fingers. As a substitute, use tweezers or a chunk of tape to seize it. Put the tick in a sealed plastic bag or small jar within the freezer. This each kills the tick and preserves it for identification if signs of Lyme illness develop.

If hooked up, right here’s what to do (and to not do): 

How NOT to Take away a Tick

There are many dwelling treatment options for tick elimination, however these could do extra hurt than good. Burning the tick, utilizing important oils, or greasing it with petroleum jelly could sound like good concepts. Nevertheless, these methods can irritate the tick, making issues worse.

I don’t care a couple of tick’s emotions, but when the tick is irritated, it could vomit the contents of its abdomen (pathogens included!) into the pores and skin. That’s precisely what we don’t need to occur!

For years, the right tick elimination code has been to make use of a pair of fine-tipped tweezers and pull it straight out. Whereas this may work, it could additionally go away the tick’s head or mouth-parts embedded within the pores and skin. 

(Sidenote: I can’t let you know the variety of instances I’ve felt an invisible tick crawling on me whereas scripting this submit!)

What to Do As a substitute: Protected Tick Removing 

As a substitute, use a tick-removal gadget like this one. It resembles a spork. You insert it between the tick and the pores and skin, then twist gently till the tick releases. I hold one on my keychain throughout tick season.

In contrast to the tweezer technique, this gadget is more likely to end in a clear elimination. The prongs on both facet assist make sure the tick mouth doesn’t bend too far to the facet and snap off whereas rotating.

When you don’t have a tick elimination device, use tweezers, however you should definitely seize the tick as near the pinnacle/mouth as attainable.

The right way to Take away a Tick

1. First, attempt to ignore the super-mom adrenaline pumping by your physique!
2. Method the tick from the facet with a tick gadget or tweezers.
3. Slide the notched tick elimination gadget beneath the bottom of the tick head and the pores and skin. If utilizing tweezers, apply them firmly as near the mouth/pores and skin as attainable.
4. With a agency, slight lifting movement, gently spin the tick remover till the tick detaches itself. If utilizing tweezers, pull up firmly however constantly. Don’t jerk or twist.
5. Put the tick in a sealed bag, mark it with the date, and put it within the freezer. This kills it and saves it for identification if Lyme signs come up.
6.  Make it possible for there aren’t any tick components left embedded within the pores and skin. If there are, pulling it out with tweezers like a splinter or utilizing a drawing salve will be useful.
7.  Wash the chunk space with cleaning soap and water and apply an antimicrobial, like rubbing alcohol, to the world. Diluted lavender or this germ-fighting essential oil blend are additionally good choices.

How/The place to Ship a Tick For Testing

Testing for tick-borne sickness in people is frequently inaccurate. The ELISA check usually run by healthcare suppliers in native clinics usually comes again destructive when different exams present an an infection. In truth, it could miss over half of all Lyme instances. A Western Blot check could also be extra correct, however solely when interpreted by completely different requirements than the CDC’s. 

One of the trusted laboratories for Lyme illness testing is Igenex.. Along with Lyme, in addition they display screen for different tick-borne diseases. One instance is ehrlichiosis, which targets white blood cells. One other is babesiosis, which impacts purple blood cells. In addition they check for infections like anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain noticed fever. These co-infections can manifest signs just like Lyme illness. 

For a extra budget-friendly various, there’s Vibrant Wellness. Whereas similar to Igenex, it comes at a decrease price. Vibrant Wellness affords complete Lyme panels. They will detect completely different borrelia species in addition to co-infections widespread with Lyme illness. These corporations permit sufferers to request a house check or ship the tick (useless or alive) to have it examined for infections. 

Chances are high seemingly that every one will probably be effectively if the an infection is caught early and dealt with correctly. However that mentioned, right here’s what to search for: 

Signs of Tick-Borne Sickness

Based on the CDC, attainable signs of a tick-borne an infection are:

• A relapsing fever and chills (flu-like signs)
• Achy joints or muscle aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• A big round rash that appears like a bullseye across the chunk website (known as erythema migrans)

The bullseye rash doesn’t all the time happen, so it’s vital to verify for different signs. Kids will generally develop tick paralysis, which causes momentary numbness and tingling. For a whole checklist of signs, see the CDC’s tick page. 

Dr. Jay Davidson provides {that a} sore sternum (the bone over the breast) could also be one other signal of contracting Lyme.

When you suspect tick-related sickness, seek the advice of with a physician immediately, as early intervention could assist. Dr. Davidson recommends taking Ledum palustre, a homeopathic treatment, as a pure first assist. Another choice is to use andrographis tincture on the recent chunk to assist forestall illness transmission all through the physique. 

Tick Prevention Is the Finest Remedy (for Now)

You possibly can take some preventative measures to keep away from ticks within the first place, decreasing your threat of tick- and different insect bites. The choices for battling ticks aren’t excellent (particularly if you happen to desire to keep away from chemical compounds, as I do), and I can solely hope we now have extra choices for controlling the Lyme outbreak on the horizon. 

Till then, listed here are a number of the steps we are able to take at the moment to let our youngsters go adventuring without worry:

1. Tick-Proof Your Yard

It’s most likely no shock that I don’t suggest skilled chemical sprays for the yard, even to cut back ticks. Whereas many corporations tout this as “protected,” if it kills ticks, it most likely isn’t good on your pets or children, not to mention the atmosphere and different innocent bugs in your yard.

There are fairly a couple of logical (and pure) steps to discourage ticks:

• Preserve the grass brief. Ticks are generally present in lawns, significantly in areas with tall grass, dense vegetation, and leaf litter. Preserve your garden well-maintained by mowing repeatedly and eradicating tall grass, brush, and leaf litter.
• Prune dense landscaping. Trim again overhanging branches and prune shrubs to permit extra daylight to achieve the bottom. Ticks desire shaded, humid environments, so growing daylight publicity could make the garden much less hospitable for them.
• Mulch with cedar chips. Studies show ticks and cedar oil don’t combine. Since ticks crawl and don’t fly, strive mulching the perimeter of your yard with cedar chips or between your yard and grassy areas to discourage them from crossing.
• Strive including nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic worms which are pure tick predators. You should purchase them on-line or at backyard shops and introduce them into your yard, backyard, or surrounding wooded areas whereas watering. Don’t fear — They’re non-toxic and don’t hurt useful bugs like ladybugs. However they could be a large assist in controlling tick populations.
• Think about Tick Tubes: Tick tubes are cardboard cylinders crammed with handled cotton that mice carry again to their nests. The handled cotton kills ticks on the mice, decreasing the chance of ticks attaching to people.
• Get yard chickens! Moreover offering recent eggs, they eat ticks! Chickens are pure foragers and can peck at bugs they encounter, together with ticks. They will help cut back ticks within the areas surrounding your home.

2. Use Pure Bug Repellent

Though the EWG (Environmental Working Group) concludes DEET is a reasonably safe possibility at decrease concentrations, it’s not advisable for pregnant girls or youngsters below six months. Many research additionally level to attainable unwanted effects from utilizing DEET and different insect repellents like permethrin, together with dizziness, complications, and even seizures.

Whereas I take ticks and the specter of Lyme illness significantly, I favor utilizing pure bug repellents, particularly since research present important oils like citronella will be as efficient as DEET. My natural bug spray recipe makes use of a number of important oils proven in research to repel ticks: geranium, citronella, and lemon eucalyptus.

Pure bug repellent is particularly helpful (and effective) for repelling these tiny nymph ticks you can not see in a tick verify. In spite of everything, it’s higher to be distasteful to ticks so that you don’t get bitten within the first place!

Taking sure herbs as a complement could assist from the within out. Astragalus is an herb from Conventional Chinese language Drugs that will assist repel ticks whereas supporting the immune system. Lyme skilled Stephen Buhner recommends adults take 1,000 mg of Astragalus each day to thrust back ticks.

3. Examine for Ticks Each day

I do know it’s not enjoyable, however, with observe, it turns into a behavior. Put a full-length mirror within the rest room, and/or educate children to verify themselves and one another. The black-legged tick nymph most frequently transmits Lyme illness, and it’s solely in regards to the measurement of a poppy seed. That is essentially the most complete checklist I’ve discovered for tips on how to conduct a complete tick check.

I do know it’s not simple to get children to cease what they’re doing and sit nonetheless, so we construct it into the routine earlier than lunch, dinner, and bedtime, together with the wash fingers/brush enamel step. This website has a free activity e-book for instructing younger youngsters tips on how to verify for ticks.

4. Apply Good Climbing Hygiene

Ticks love wooded trails, tall grassy fields, and areas with dense brush.

However I refuse to let ticks spoil our love for mountaineering, tenting, and simply being outdoor in the summertime. Be good when mountaineering and observe the following pointers for avoiding ticks:

• Put on protecting clothes: Put on long-sleeved shirts when mountaineering in a high-tick space and tuck pants into socks. This observe will help forestall ticks from crawling onto uncovered pores and skin. Gentle-colored clothes additionally helps make ticks extra seen.
• Select excessive boots fairly than athletic sneakers: Once more, you’ll need to keep away from simply accessible pores and skin. 
• Put on a wide-brimmed hat: Huge-brimmed hats can hold ticks from crawling from tall brush onto the again of your neck or hair.
• Think about permethrin clothing: I don’t love the thought of utilizing chemical compounds, however I really like the thought of Lyme illness even much less! Permethrin is an artificial model of a pure insecticide present in chrysanthemum flowers. It kills ticks on contact and could also be price contemplating for these adventuring in high-risk areas.
• Keep on the paths: Ticks love the comb and tall grass. They’re simply ready so that you can enterprise off into the rugged terrain!
• Do an after-hike tick verify: Examine for ticks earlier than getting within the automobile after a hike, or use a sticky lint curler on garments to catch tiny ticks.
• Head to the laundry room! Take away mountaineering garments and put them instantly within the dryer for 10 minutes on excessive warmth to kill ticks.
• End up with a superb soak: Bathe or bathe as quickly as attainable after mountaineering. Ensure to take action inside 2 hours of coming inside.

It would seem to be an odd household exercise, however we hold robes within the mudroom! That method, we are able to strip off after mountaineering, throw every part within the dryer, and head proper for the showers.

5. Defend Pets

Pets are additionally prone to tick-borne illnesses, and it’s usually tougher to find ticks due to all that fur. Examine canine and cats totally earlier than permitting them in the home. You may also strive making use of a couple of drops of geranium important oil round a canine’s collar however don’t use this technique (or any important oils) on cats.

Ultimate Ideas

Whereas these strategies will help cut back your threat of tick bites, it’s nonetheless essential to do common tick checks, particularly throughout peak tick season (Might by August). When you discover a tick hooked up to your pores and skin, take away it immediately –the correct method– to cut back your threat of tick-borne illnesses. When you do develop signs, like rash, fever, or muscle aches, search medical consideration instantly.

Have you ever ever had a tick chunk? What did you do? Do you may have different concepts to stop them?