What You Should Know About Tick Removal To Prevent Disease
Tick-Borne Illness Is On The Rise, And Nature Lovers Should Know Proper Tick Removal As The Key To Prevention.
Tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis pose an alarming concern to nature lovers, hikers, and individuals exposed to tick-populated areas. Up to 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease may affect people in the United States each year, showing no signs of slowing down, according to an estimate by the CDC.
Lyme Disease is just one of many tick-borne infections that can be transmitted through the bite of a tick. Other tick-borne infections include Babesia, Anaplasmosis, Bartonella, Mycoplasma, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
There are several species of tick that can transmit diseases, such as the black-legged tick, lone star tick, American dog tick, and soft tick.
Climate change and habitat disruption (link) are contributing to the growing number of disease-carrying ticks, and although tick populations are hard to control, there are measures that you can take to protect yourself from them. Below, you will find some of the guidelines that are recommended for helping prevent tick bites, as well as how to remove attached ticks from the body.
Preventing Tick Bites
If you know where to expect ticks, then you can be prepared to deal with them. Ticks generally live in woody, brushy, and grassy areas. Outdoor activities such as hunting, camping, and hiking can expose you to tick habitat. Wearing light-colored clothes, a long sleeve shirt, hiking boots, and tucking your pants into your socks are practices that will help prevent direct exposure to ticks if you are spending time in tick-prone areas. Additionally, you can also wear products with DEET or permethrin for more protection.
If you spent time in an outdoor area where ticks are found, check your clothing for ticks when you get home. You can tumble dry your clothes on high heat for ten minutes to kill any ticks on dry clothing. Damp clothing may need more time. If clothes need to be washed, the CDC recommends using hot water.
You should also check any gear you have brought with you, as well as your pets. Ticks can ride on clothes and other material into the home, and then attach to a person later.
Additionally, showering within two hours after getting home has been shown to reduce instances of Lyme disease. It may help wash off any unattached ticks and be a good time to do a body check (if the tick is attached, see the section on proper tick removal below).
Finally, conduct a full body check after getting home from possible tick-infested areas. Use a mirror to view all parts of your body. The following areas should be scanned regularly for ticks:
Under the arms
Around the ears
Inside the belly button
Back of the knees
Around the scalp
Between the legs
Around the waist
Proper Tick Removal
An attached tick should be removed as soon as possible. With fine-tipped tweezers or a proper tick removal device, you should grasp the tick as close to the surface of the skin as possible, pulling upward with even pressure. Do not jerk or twist the tick body, as this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. Once removed, sterilize the puncture wound with alcohol, soap, and water. You can place the tick in a plastic bag, and save it to get it tested for the disease at a credible tick testing lab.
If you develop a rash or a fever within the next several weeks, see your doctor, and be sure to tell your doctor about the recent bite.
You can find a list of symptoms for Lyme disease at the CDC’s webpage.