As spring and summer season strategy and we spend extra time exterior, we additionally threat encountering ticks. Sadly, ticks aren’t simply biting bugs (technically, they don’t chew -they sting). However they’re additionally infamous vectors for sicknesses like Lyme illness and Rocky Mountain noticed fever.
Understanding the way to stop tick bites is essential for staying secure throughout outside adventures. Right here’s the way to keep away from tick bites and benefit from the nice outside worry-free.
Are Tick Bites Harmful?
In a phrase, sure. No less than, they actually might be! Many people are conscious of the seriousness and widespread epidemic of Lyme illness, which is now extra frequent 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 frequent 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. Though these are much less frequent 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 individuals develop a persistent fever, rashes, or complications. Others have power joint ache and swelling that could be misdiagnosed. Those that are particularly delicate might have allergic reactions to the micro organism. Some might even develop extreme or debilitating neurological issues.
Lyme illness is an particularly troubling situation as a result of it may be troublesome to diagnose. Dr. Jay Davidson explains extra on this podcast.
The place Are Ticks a Drawback?
Circumstances of tick-borne illness are likely to cluster across the northeastern United States. Nonetheless, 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 means of 2021.
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine have the best incidence price of Lyme instances. Knowledge 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 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 watch the upward pattern.
Lyme illness is continuous to unfold to different states, so be proactive and do what you’ll be able to to scale back your probabilities of tick bites. The spring and summer season are the best threat, as ticks are busy hatching and searching for their subsequent meal.
The way to Verify for Ticks
Engorged ticks are simple to identify, however some might 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 inspecting the hair and again of the neck, utilizing your fingertips. Listed below 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
Moderately than play naturalist, I’ll level you to the perfect tick identification software I’ve discovered. This helpful chart that includes photos of ticks means that you can type by area, kind, maturity levels, feeding levels, and even by the illnesses numerous kinds of ticks might transmit. The deer tick (black-legged tick) is the principle one to look out for, but it surely’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 might 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 once I encounter one. Should you’re a seasoned father or mother or have pets, you’ve possible confronted this example earlier than. Nonetheless, in the event you haven’t, right here’s what to do:
Verify to see if the tick is hooked up. Should you spot a small, flat tick crawling in your garments, pores and skin, or ground, it’s signal, because it possible hasn’t bitten anybody or fed not too long ago. Nonetheless, in the event 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 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 arduous, I do know.) Don’t contact the tick along 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 removing, however these might do extra hurt than good. Burning the tick, utilizing important oils, or greasing it with petroleum jelly might sound like good concepts. Nonetheless, 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 could 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 removing code has been to make use of a pair of fine-tipped tweezers and pull it straight out. Whereas this may work, it could possibly 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 occasions 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 preserve one on my keychain throughout tick season.
Not like the tweezer technique, this gadget is more likely to end in a clear removing. The prongs on both aspect assist make sure the tick mouth doesn’t bend too far to the aspect and snap off whereas rotating.
Should you don’t have a tick removing software, use tweezers, however you’ll want to seize the tick as near the top/mouth as attainable.
The way to Take away a Tick
- First, attempt to ignore the super-mom adrenaline pumping by means of your physique!
- Method the tick from the aspect with a tick gadget or tweezers.
- Slide the notched tick removing 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.
- With a agency, slight lifting movement, gently spin the tick remover till the tick detaches itself. If utilizing tweezers, pull up firmly however repeatedly. 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.
- Be sure that there are not 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 might be useful.
- Wash the chew space with cleaning soap and water and apply an antimicrobial, like rubbing alcohol, to the world. 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 adverse when different checks present an an infection. In actual fact, 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.
One of the crucial trusted laboratories for Lyme illness testing is Igenex.. Along with Lyme, additionally they display screen for different tick-borne sicknesses. One instance is ehrlichiosis, which targets white blood cells. One other is babesiosis, which impacts crimson blood cells. Additionally 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 price. Vibrant Wellness provides complete Lyme panels. They’ll detect completely different borrelia species in addition to co-infections frequent with Lyme illness. These corporations enable sufferers to request a house take a look at or ship the tick (lifeless or alive) to have it examined for infections.
Likelihood is possible that every one will probably be nicely 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 line with 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 chew web site (known as erythema migrans)
The bullseye rash doesn’t all the time happen, so it’s crucial to test for different signs. Youngsters will generally develop tick paralysis, which causes momentary numbness and tingling. For an entire 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.
Should you suspect tick-related sickness, seek the advice of with a health care provider instantly, as early intervention might 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 chew to assist stop illness transmission all through the physique.
Tick Prevention Is the Finest Remedy (for Now)
You’ll be able to 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 in the event you desire to keep away from chemical compounds, as I do), and I can solely hope we’ve got extra choices for controlling the Lyme outbreak on the horizon.
Till then, listed below are a number of the steps we will take at this time 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 scale back ticks. Whereas many corporations tout this as “secure,” if it kills ticks, it in all probability isn’t good in 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 usually and eradicating tall grass, brush, and leaf litter.
- Prune dense landscaping. Trim again overhanging branches and prune shrubs to permit extra daylight to succeed in the bottom. Ticks desire shaded, humid environments, so growing 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.
- Attempt 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 huge assist in controlling tick populations.
- Take into account Tick Tubes: Tick tubes are cardboard cylinders stuffed with handled cotton that mice convey again to their nests. The handled cotton kills ticks on the mice, decreasing the probability of ticks attaching to people.
- Get yard chickens! In addition to 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 own home.
2. Use Pure Bug Repellent
Though the EWG (Environmental Working Group) concludes DEET is a moderately secure choice at decrease concentrations, it’s not beneficial for pregnant ladies or youngsters underneath six months. Many research additionally level to attainable negative 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 might 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 might 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 chase away ticks.
3. Verify for Ticks Each day
I do know it’s not enjoyable, however, with follow, it turns into a behavior. Put a full-length mirror within the rest room, 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 measurement of a poppy seed. That is probably the most complete listing I’ve discovered for the way to conduct a full tick test.
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 web site has a free exercise e-book for instructing younger youngsters the way to test for ticks.
4. Follow Good Mountaineering Hygiene
Ticks love wooded trails, tall grassy fields, and areas with dense brush.
However I refuse to let ticks spoil our love for climbing, tenting, and simply being outside in the summertime. Be sensible when climbing and comply with the following pointers for avoiding ticks:
- Put on protecting clothes: Put on long-sleeved shirts when climbing in a high-tick space and tuck pants into socks. This follow will help stop ticks from crawling onto uncovered pores and skin. Gentle-colored clothes additionally helps make ticks extra seen.
- Select excessive boots fairly than athletic footwear: Once more, you’ll wish to keep away from simply accessible pores and skin.
- Put on a wide-brimmed hat: Huge-brimmed hats can preserve ticks from crawling from tall brush onto the again of your neck or hair.
- Take into account permethrin clothes: I don’t love the thought of utilizing chemical compounds, however I 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 value 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: Verify 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 climbing garments and put them instantly within the dryer for 10 minutes on excessive warmth to kill ticks.
- End up with soak: Bathe or bathe as quickly as attainable after climbing. Ensure to take action inside 2 hours of coming inside.
It’d appear to be an odd household exercise, however we preserve robes within the mudroom! That manner, we will strip off after climbing, throw all the things within the dryer, and head proper for the showers.
5. Defend Pets
Pets are additionally prone to tick-borne illnesses, and it’s usually more difficult to find ticks due to all that fur. Verify canines and cats totally earlier than permitting them in the home. You may as well 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.
Closing 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 (Could by means of August). Should you discover a tick hooked up to your pores and skin, take away it instantly –the appropriate manner– to scale back your threat of tick-borne illnesses. Should you do develop signs, like rash, fever, or muscle aches, search medical consideration instantly.
Have you ever ever had a tick chew? What did you do? Do you’ve gotten different concepts to forestall them?