As spring and summer season strategy and we spend extra time exterior, we additionally danger 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 the right way to stop tick bites is essential for staying secure throughout outside adventures. Right here’s the right way to avoid tick bites and benefit from the nice open air worry-free.
Are Tick Bites Harmful?
In a phrase, sure. A minimum of, they definitely could 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 doable 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 doable to get tick-borne encephalitis, aka, mind irritation.
Many of those infections trigger the identical signs as Lyme illness. Though these are much less widespread than Lyme, they’re answerable for a number of thousand instances of tick-related sickness in america every year.
Lyme illness may cause all kinds of signs. Some individuals 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 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.
The place Are Ticks a Downside?
Circumstances of tick-borne illness are inclined to cluster across the northeastern United States. Nevertheless, in response to 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 via 2021.
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine have the best incidence price of Lyme instances. Knowledge 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 lately.
However Lyme isn’t restricted to the Northeast and the Midwest. As of 2015, virtually half the counties in america 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 may to cut back your probabilities of tick bites. The spring and summer season are the best danger, as ticks are busy hatching and in search of their subsequent meal.
The best way to Examine for Ticks
Engorged ticks are straightforward to identify, however some could 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
Reasonably than play naturalist, I’ll level you to the most effective tick identification device I’ve discovered. This useful chart that includes photographs of ticks permits you to type 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, 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 number of extra youngsters, I nonetheless don’t like coping with ticks, however I’ve discovered what to do once I encounter one. For those who’re a seasoned father or mother or have pets, you’ve seemingly confronted this case earlier than. Nevertheless, when you haven’t, right here’s what to do:
Examine to see if the tick is hooked up. For those who spot a small, flat tick crawling in your garments, pores and skin, or ground, it’s a great signal, because it seemingly hasn’t bitten anybody or fed not too long ago. Nevertheless, when you 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 particular person 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 arduous, I do know.) Don’t contact the tick together with your naked palms. As an alternative, use tweezers or a bit 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 few tick’s emotions, but when the tick is irritated, it might probably 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 right tick elimination code has been to make use of a pair of fine-tipped tweezers and pull it straight out. Whereas this will work, it might probably additionally depart the tick’s head or mouth-parts embedded within the pores and skin.
(Sidenote: I can not let you know the variety of occasions I’ve felt an invisible tick crawling on me whereas penning this publish!)
What to Do As an alternative: Protected Tick Elimination
As an alternative, use a tick-removal machine 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.
Not like the tweezer methodology, this machine is more likely to end in 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.
For those who don’t have a tick elimination device, use tweezers, however make sure you seize the tick as near the pinnacle/mouth as doable.
The best way to Take away a Tick
- First, attempt to ignore the super-mom adrenaline pumping via your physique!
- Strategy the tick from the aspect with a tick machine or tweezers.
- Slide the notched tick elimination machine 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 doable.
- 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.
- 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.
- Ensure 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 could be useful.
- Wash the chunk space with cleaning soap and water and apply an antimicrobial, like rubbing alcohol, to the realm. Diluted lavender or this germ-fighting important oil mix are additionally good choices.
How/The place to Ship a Tick For Testing
Testing for tick-borne sickness in people is continuously inaccurate. The ELISA take a look at usually run by healthcare suppliers in native clinics usually comes again unfavorable when different checks present an an infection. The truth is, it could miss over half of all Lyme instances. A Western Blot take a look at could also be extra correct, however solely when interpreted by completely different requirements than the CDC’s.
Some of the trusted laboratories for Lyme illness testing is Igenex.. Along with Lyme, additionally they display screen for different tick-borne diseases. One instance is ehrlichiosis, which targets white blood cells. One other is babesiosis, which impacts crimson blood cells. In addition they take a look at 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 value. Vibrant Wellness provides complete Lyme panels. They’ll detect completely different borrelia species in addition to co-infections widespread with Lyme illness. These firms permit sufferers to request a house take a look at or ship the tick (lifeless 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
In response to the CDC, doable 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 at all times happen, so it’s essential to test for different signs. Youngsters will typically develop tick paralysis, which causes non permanent numbness and tingling. For a whole listing of signs, see the CDC’s tick web page.
Dr. Jay Davidson provides {that a} sore sternum (the bone over the breast) could also be one other signal of contracting Lyme.
For those who suspect 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 help. An alternative choice is to use andrographis tincture on the recent chunk to assist stop illness transmission all through the physique.
Tick Prevention Is the Greatest Remedy (for Now)
You may 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 when you favor 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 below are a number of the steps we will take right now to let our youngsters go adventuring with out fear:
1. Tick-Proof Your Yard
It’s in all probability no shock that I don’t advocate skilled chemical sprays for the yard, even to cut back ticks. Whereas many firms tout this as “secure,” if it kills ticks, it in all probability isn’t good to your pets or children, not to mention the atmosphere and different innocent bugs in your yard.
There are fairly a number 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 often 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. Research present 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 can be 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 useful bugs like ladybugs. However they could be a large assist in controlling tick populations.
- Think about Tick Tubes: Tick tubes are cardboard cylinders full of handled cotton that mice carry again to their nests. The handled cotton kills ticks on the mice, decreasing the probability 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 may also help cut back ticks within the areas surrounding your own home.
2. Use Pure Bug Repellent
Though the EWG (Environmental Working Group) concludes DEET is a fairly secure choice at decrease concentrations, it’s not really helpful for pregnant girls or youngsters underneath six months. Many research additionally level to doable unwanted side 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 severely, I favor utilizing pure bug repellents, particularly since research present important oils like citronella could be as efficient as DEET. My pure 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 efficient) for repelling these tiny nymph ticks you can not see in a tick test. 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 which will assist repel ticks whereas supporting the immune system. Lyme knowledgeable Stephen Buhner recommends adults take 1,000 mg of Astragalus each day to beat back ticks.
3. Examine for Ticks Day by day
I do know it’s not enjoyable, however, with follow, it turns into a behavior. Put a full-length mirror within the toilet, and/or educate children to test themselves and one another. The black-legged tick nymph most frequently transmits Lyme illness, and it’s solely concerning the measurement of a poppy seed. That is probably the most complete listing I’ve discovered for the right way to conduct a full tick test.
I do know it’s not straightforward 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 palms/brush tooth step. This website has a free exercise e-book for instructing younger youngsters the right way to test 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 open air in the summertime. Be sensible when mountaineering and comply with 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 follow may also help stop ticks from crawling onto uncovered pores and skin. Gentle-colored clothes additionally helps make ticks extra seen.
- Select excessive boots slightly than athletic sneakers: Once more, you’ll wish to keep away from simply accessible pores and skin.
- Put on a wide-brimmed hat: Broad-brimmed hats can maintain ticks from crawling from tall brush onto the again of your neck or hair.
- Think about permethrin clothes: I don’t love the concept of utilizing chemical compounds, 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 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 test: Examine 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! Take away mountaineering garments and put them instantly within the dryer for 10 minutes on excessive warmth to kill ticks.
- End up with a great soak: Bathe or bathe as quickly as doable after mountaineering. Make sure to take action inside 2 hours of coming inside.
It would appear to be an odd household exercise, however we maintain robes within the mudroom! That method, we will 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 canines and cats totally earlier than permitting them in the home. You can even strive making use of a number of drops of geranium important oil round a canine’s collar however don’t use this methodology (or any important oils) on cats.
Last Ideas
Whereas these strategies may also help cut back your danger of tick bites, it’s nonetheless essential to do common tick checks, particularly throughout peak tick season (Might via August). For those who discover a tick hooked up to your pores and skin, take away it instantly –the correct method– to cut back your danger of tick-borne illnesses. For those who 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’ve gotten different concepts to stop them?
