Tis the tick time of the year again here in Michigan. Found one of those nasty little critters on my leg last night and I always have a hard time getting them off in one piece. Whats your secret for easy tick removal, and once removed do you treat the area with anything?
The last one I had was two years ago. The back of my leg was itching and I was scratching it and a tick fell off. I think it was just starting to attach and wasn't burrowed in yet. When I was a kid living in Maryland we would get quite a few. My parents would get under them with something thin like a knife blade then touch them with something hot. This would cause them to back out. If they were too small for this to work they would use tweezers to dig in and get as much of the head as possible then pull them off.
credit card. Use the long edge from above the head to ease it out. Never have done an after treatment, though I'm curious to hear what others have done. Thankfully I have not found an embedded one recently. They give me the same heebie jeebies as leeches do.
Sue
I usually get them before they embed. If I have been running and anything itches on me after I look right away to see what it is. On the dogs I just use a tweezers and they come out. My husband has had two embedded on different occasions: both times when I pulled them out I left the head in. (Not on purpose I swear!) He then digs them out and treats with Neosporin.
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I have had a few on me already, several actually.
LB2
Faster Than Your Couch!
This season, I've had only one crawling on me so far, but over the years, I've had several ticks, too, and often embedded.
I use tweezers (actually those ones for pets), grab them as close to the head as I can get them, and pull them out, sometimes straight, sometimes with a slight twist, whatever works best. Covering ticks with oil, vaseline or hot objects only leads to them releasing more bacteria and viruses, as they get distressed before they die or release, so these methods are no longer recommended in Europe.
After the bite, it is irrelevant whether the site of the bite is treated with antibiotics or not, because any bacteria and viruses have been released into the bloodstream already anyway (if in small numbers if the tick has been attached only shortly, so the risk of infection is lower the sooner the tick is removed, but not zero), so topical treatment won't help, but won't hurt, either. I'd say, do whatever you feel is good for you.
I just apply anti-itch lotion to the site to stop the itch, and watch it for a few days for any rash or swelling.
So far, I've never had an infection after a tick bite (but I'm vaccinated against the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Europe, which is called "Early Summer Meningo-Encephalitis"). Also dodged Lyme Disease so far.
Edit: If the head stays embedded, you may just leave it there, it will shed with the skin after about 10-14 days.
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Ticks are bad here lately. I find 4-5 crawling on me after every run. I have not found one embeded yet. I usually just pull them off as best I can.
The health department sent out an alert to hospitals and physicians to provide prophylatic treatment (i can't remember which drug) for patients that have had a a deer tick bite. About every tick I have pulled off me has been a deer tick. Nasty little critters.
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