As spring and summer time method and we spend extra time outdoors, we additionally threat encountering ticks. Sadly, ticks aren’t simply biting bugs (technically, they don’t chunk -they sting). However they’re additionally infamous vectors for sicknesses like Lyme illness and Rocky Mountain noticed fever.
Understanding how you can stop tick bites is essential for staying secure throughout out of doors adventures. Right here’s how you can keep away from tick bites and benefit from the nice open air worry-free.
Are Tick Bites Harmful?
In a phrase, sure. No less than, they actually may 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 referred to 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 the US 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 that are particularly delicate might have allergic reactions to the micro organism. Some might even develop extreme or debilitating neurological problems.
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?
Instances 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), at the least one case of Lyme illness has occurred in each state. Try this map of instances reported by the CDC from 1990 via 2021.
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine have the best incidence fee of Lyme instances. Information from 2022 reveals 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 the US reported the presence of black-legged ticks. The CDC continues to observe the upward pattern.
Lyme illness is continuous to unfold to different states, so be proactive and do what you possibly can to cut back your probabilities of tick bites. The spring and summer time are the best threat, as ticks are busy hatching and on the lookout for their subsequent meal.
The best way to Test for Ticks
Engorged ticks are straightforward to identify, however some may be as small as a pinhead. They like to cover in heat, moist, lined 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 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
Quite than play naturalist, I’ll level you to the perfect tick identification instrument I’ve discovered. This useful chart that includes photos of ticks permits you to kind by area, kind, maturity levels, feeding levels, and even by the illnesses numerous sorts 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 just a few extra youngsters, I nonetheless don’t like coping with ticks, however I’ve discovered what to do after I encounter one. In case you’re a seasoned father or mother or have pets, you’ve possible confronted this case earlier than. Nevertheless, in case you haven’t, right here’s what to do:
Test to see if the tick is hooked up. In case you spot a small, flat tick crawling in your garments, pores and skin, or flooring, it’s an excellent signal, because it possible hasn’t bitten anybody or fed lately. Nevertheless, in case 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 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 onerous, I do know.) Don’t contact the tick together with your naked arms. 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 house 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. Nevertheless, these strategies can irritate the tick, making issues worse.
I don’t care a few tick’s emotions, but when the tick is irritated, it might 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 might additionally go away the tick’s head or mouth-parts embedded within the pores and skin.
(Sidenote: I can not inform you the variety of instances I’ve felt an invisible tick crawling on me whereas penning this put up!)
What to Do As a substitute: Protected Tick Elimination
As a substitute, 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.
In contrast to the tweezer technique, this machine is more likely to lead to a clear removing. The prongs on both facet assist make sure the tick mouth doesn’t bend too far to the facet and snap off whereas rotating.
In case you don’t have a tick removing instrument, 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!
- Method the tick from the facet with a tick machine or tweezers.
- Slide the notched tick removing 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 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.
- Guarantee 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.
- 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 incessantly inaccurate. The ELISA check sometimes run by healthcare suppliers in native clinics typically comes again unfavorable when different exams 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 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 pink blood cells. Additionally they check for infections like anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain noticed fever. These co-infections can manifest signs just like Lyme illness.
For a extra budget-friendly different, there’s Vibrant Wellness. Whereas similar to Igenex, it comes at a decrease price. Vibrant Wellness affords complete Lyme panels. They’ll 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 (lifeless or alive) to have it examined for infections.
Chances are high possible that each one shall be properly if the an infection is caught early and dealt with correctly. However that stated, right here’s what to search for:
Signs of Tick-Borne Sickness
Based on 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 (referred to as erythema migrans)
The bullseye rash doesn’t all the time happen, so it’s important to examine for different signs. Kids will generally develop tick paralysis, which causes short-term numbness and tingling. For an entire checklist 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.
In case you suspect tick-related sickness, seek the advice of with a physician immediately, as early intervention might assist. Dr. Davidson recommends taking Ledum palustre, a homeopathic treatment, as a pure first help. Another choice is to use andrographis tincture on the recent chunk to assist stop illness transmission all through the physique.
Tick Prevention Is the Finest Remedy (for Now)
You may 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 good (particularly in case you desire to keep away from chemical compounds, as I do), and I can solely hope now we have extra choices for controlling the Lyme outbreak on the horizon.
Till then, listed here are a few of the steps we are able to 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 suggest 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 on your pets or children, not to mention the setting and different innocent bugs in your yard.
There are fairly just a few logical (and pure) steps to discourage ticks:
- Preserve the grass brief. Ticks are generally present in lawns, notably 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 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, attempt 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 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 large assist in controlling tick populations.
- Contemplate Tick Tubes: Tick tubes are cardboard cylinders full of 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! Apart from 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 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 girls or youngsters below 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 may 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 very helpful (and efficient) for repelling these tiny nymph ticks you can’t see in a tick examine. In any case, 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 skilled Stephen Buhner recommends adults take 1,000 mg of Astragalus every day to keep off ticks.
3. Test for Ticks Day by day
I do know it’s not enjoyable, however, with observe, it turns into a behavior. Put a full-length mirror within the toilet, and/or educate children to examine themselves and one another. The black-legged tick nymph most frequently transmits Lyme illness, and it’s solely in regards to the dimension of a poppy seed. That is essentially the most complete checklist I’ve discovered for how you can conduct a full tick examine.
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 arms/brush enamel step. This website has a free exercise e-book for instructing younger youngsters how you can examine for ticks.
4. Observe Good Mountain 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 good 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 observe will help stop ticks from crawling onto uncovered pores and skin. Mild-colored clothes additionally helps make ticks extra seen.
- Select excessive boots moderately than athletic sneakers: Once more, you’ll wish to keep away from simply accessible pores and skin.
- Put on a wide-brimmed hat: Huge-brimmed hats can maintain ticks from crawling from tall brush onto the again of your neck or hair.
- Contemplate 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 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 examine: Test for ticks earlier than getting within the automobile 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 an excellent soak: Bathe or bathe as quickly as doable after mountaineering. Make sure to take action inside 2 hours of coming inside.
It’d look like an odd household exercise, however we maintain robes within the mudroom! That manner, we are able to strip off after mountaineering, throw every thing within the dryer, and head proper for the showers.
5. Defend Pets
Pets are additionally inclined to tick-borne illnesses, and it’s typically more difficult to find ticks due to all that fur. Test canine and cats totally earlier than permitting them in the home. You may also attempt making use of just a few drops of geranium important oil round a canine’s collar however don’t use this technique (or any important oils) on cats.
Ultimate 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 via August). In case you discover a tick hooked up to your pores and skin, take away it immediately –the correct manner– to cut back your threat of tick-borne illnesses. In case you 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 might have different concepts to forestall them?