Tick Bites: Prevention and Safe Removal

As spring and summer time method and we spend extra time exterior, we additionally danger encountering ticks. Unfortunately, ticks aren’t simply biting bugs (technically, they don’t chunk -they sting). But they’re additionally infamous vectors for sicknesses like Lyme illness and Rocky Mountain noticed fever. 

Understanding the best way to stop tick bites is essential for staying protected throughout outside adventures. Here’s the best way to keep away from tick bites and benefit from the nice open air worry-free.

Are Tick Bites Dangerous?

In a phrase, sure. At least, they definitely may be! Many of us are conscious of the seriousness and widespread epidemic of Lyme illness, which is now extra widespread than breast most cancers. While 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.

Other much less widespread tick-borne infections embody 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 illness. Although these are much less widespread than Lyme, they’re answerable for a number of thousand instances of tick-related sickness within the United States annually.

Lyme illness may cause all kinds of signs. Some individuals develop a persistent fever, rashes, or complications. Others have continual joint ache and swelling which may be misdiagnosed. Those who’re particularly delicate could have allergic reactions to the micro organism. Some could even develop extreme or debilitating neurological issues. 

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

Where Are Ticks a Problem?

Cases of tick-borne illness are likely to cluster across the northeastern United States. However, in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the very least one case of Lyme illness has occurred in each state. Check out this map of instances reported by the CDC from 1990 by 2021.

Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine have the very best incidence fee of Lyme instances. Data from 2022 exhibits a median of about 200 instances per 100,000 individuals occurred in these three states. Midwestern states are additionally experiencing elevated instances lately. 

But Lyme isn’t restricted to the Northeast and the Midwest. As of 2015, virtually half the counties within the United States reported the presence of black-legged ticks. The CDC continues to watch the upward development.

Lyme illness is continuous to unfold to different states, so be proactive and do what you’ll be able to to scale back your possibilities of tick bites. The spring and summer time are the very best danger, as ticks are busy hatching and on the lookout for their subsequent meal. 

How to Check for Ticks

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

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

• Behind arms
• Behind the knees
• In or across the ears
• Belly button
• Between the legs
• Around the waist

Rather than play naturalist, I’ll level you to the perfect tick identification instrument I’ve discovered. This handy chart that includes photos of ticks permits you to kind by area, sort, maturity phases, feeding phases, and even by the illnesses varied forms of ticks could transmit. The deer tick (black-legged tick) is the principle one to look out for, nevertheless it’s not the one one which causes issues.

What to Do If You Find a Tick

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

After a number of extra kids, I nonetheless don’t like coping with ticks, however I’ve discovered what to do after I encounter one. If you’re a seasoned father or mother or have pets, you’ve seemingly confronted this case earlier than. However, in case you haven’t, right here’s what to do:

Check to see if the tick is connected. If you see a small, flat tick crawling in your garments, pores and skin, or ground, it’s a very good signal, because it seemingly hasn’t bitten anybody or fed lately. However, in case you encounter a big tick with a swollen, spherical body, it’s extra regarding as it could have already fed and indifferent from a pet or person within the house.

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 along with your naked fingers. Instead, 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 connected, right here’s what to do (and to not do): 

How NOT to Remove a Tick

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

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

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

(Sidenote: I can’t inform you the variety of occasions I’ve felt an invisible tick crawling on me whereas penning this publish!)

What to Do Instead: Safe Tick Removal 

Instead, use a tick-removal system 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 maintain one on my keychain throughout tick season.

Unlike the tweezer methodology, this system is more likely to lead to a clear elimination. The prongs on both aspect assist make sure the tick mouth doesn’t bend too far to the aspect and snap off whereas rotating.

If you don’t have a tick elimination instrument, use tweezers, however make sure to seize the tick as near the top/mouth as attainable.

How to Remove a Tick

1. First, attempt to ignore the super-mom adrenaline pumping by your body!
2. Approach the tick from the aspect with a tick system or tweezers.
3. Slide the notched tick elimination system 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 firm, 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 positive that there aren’t any tick elements left embedded within the pores and skin. If there are, pulling it out with tweezers like a splinter or utilizing a drawing salve may 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 mix are additionally good choices.

How/Where to Send a Tick For Testing

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

One of probably the most trusted laboratories for Lyme illness testing is Igenex.. In addition to Lyme, additionally they display screen for different tick-borne sicknesses. One instance is ehrlichiosis, which targets white blood cells. Another is babesiosis, which impacts crimson blood cells. They additionally check for infections like anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain noticed fever. These co-infections can manifest signs much like Lyme illness. 

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

Chances are seemingly that each one will likely be effectively if the an infection is caught early and dealt with correctly. But that stated, right here’s what to search for: 

Symptoms of Tick-Borne Illness

According to 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 web site (known as erythema migrans)

The bullseye rash doesn’t at all times happen, so it’s important to test for different signs. Children will generally develop tick paralysis, which causes non permanent numbness and tingling. For a whole record 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.

If you watched tick-related sickness, seek the advice of with a physician instantly, as early intervention could assist. Dr. Davidson recommends taking Ledum palustre, a homeopathic treatment, as a pure first assist. Another possibility is to use andrographis tincture on the recent chunk to assist stop illness transmission all through the body. 

Tick Prevention Is the Best Cure (for Now)

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

Until then, listed here are among the steps we will take at present to let our children go adventuring with out fear:

1. Tick-Proof Your Yard

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

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

• Keep the grass brief. Ticks are generally present in lawns, significantly in areas with tall grass, dense vegetation, and leaf litter. Keep your garden well-maintained by mowing frequently 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 favor shaded, humid environments, so rising 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.
• Try including nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic worms which are pure tick predators. You should buy 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 helpful bugs like ladybugs. But they could be a huge assist in controlling tick populations.
• Consider Tick Tubes: Tick tubes are cardboard cylinders crammed with handled cotton that mice convey again to their nests. The handled cotton kills ticks on the mice, decreasing the chance of ticks attaching to people.
• Get yard chickens! Besides offering recent eggs, they eat ticks! Chickens are pure foragers and will peck at bugs they encounter, together with ticks. They might help cut back ticks within the areas surrounding your home.

2. Use Natural Bug Repellent

Although the EWG (Environmental Working Group) concludes DEET is a reasonably safe possibility at decrease concentrations, it’s not beneficial for pregnant women or kids underneath six months. Many research additionally level to attainable uncomfortable side effects from utilizing DEET and different insect repellents like permethrin, together with dizziness, complications, and even seizures.

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

Natural bug repellent is very helpful (and effective) for repelling these tiny nymph ticks you can not see in a tick test. After all, 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 Traditional Chinese Medicine that will assist repel ticks whereas supporting the immune system. Lyme professional Stephen Buhner recommends adults take 1,000 mg of Astragalus each day to push back ticks.

3. Check for Ticks Daily

I do know it’s not enjoyable, however, with observe, it turns into a behavior. Put a full-length mirror within the lavatory, and/or train children to test themselves and one another. The black-legged tick nymph most frequently transmits Lyme illness, and it’s solely concerning the dimension of a poppy seed. This is probably the most complete record I’ve discovered for the best way 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 tooth step. This web site has a free activity e-book for educating younger kids the best way to test for ticks.

4. Practice Good Hiking Hygiene

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

But I refuse to let ticks spoil our love for hiking, tenting, and simply being open air in the summertime. Be good when hiking and comply with these tips for avoiding ticks:

• Wear protecting clothes: Wear long-sleeved shirts when hiking in a high-tick space and tuck pants into socks. This observe might help stop ticks from crawling onto uncovered pores and skin. Light-colored clothes additionally helps make ticks extra seen.
• Choose high boots somewhat than athletic sneakers: Again, you’ll wish to keep away from simply accessible pores and skin. 
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat: Wide-brimmed hats can maintain ticks from crawling from tall brush onto the again of your neck or hair.
• Consider permethrin clothing: I don’t love the concept of utilizing chemical substances, however I like the concept 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 value contemplating for these adventuring in high-risk areas.
• Stay 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 test: Check for ticks earlier than getting within the automotive after a hike, or use a sticky lint curler on garments to catch tiny ticks.
• Head to the laundry room! Remove hiking garments and put them instantly within the dryer for 10 minutes on high warmth to kill ticks.
• Finish up with a very good soak: Bathe or bathe as quickly as attainable after hiking. Be positive to take action inside 2 hours of coming inside.

It may look like a wierd household exercise, however we maintain robes within the mudroom! That manner, we will strip off after hiking, throw all the things within the dryer, and head proper for the showers.

5. Protect Pets

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

Final Thoughts

While these strategies might help cut back your danger of tick bites, it’s nonetheless essential to do common tick checks, particularly throughout peak tick season (May by August). If you discover a tick connected to your pores and skin, take away it instantly –the correct manner– to scale back your danger of tick-borne illnesses. If you do develop signs, like rash, fever, or muscle aches, search medical attention instantly.

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