As spring and summer time method and we spend extra time outside, 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 tips on how to stop tick bites is essential for staying safe throughout outside adventures. Right here’s tips on how to avoid tick bites and benefit from the nice outside worry-free.
Are Tick Bites Harmful?
In a phrase, sure. At the least, they definitely 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 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 attainable to get tick-borne encephalitis, aka, mind irritation.
Many of those infections trigger the identical signs as Lyme disease. Though these are much less frequent than Lyme, they’re chargeable for a number of thousand circumstances of tick-related sickness in america annually.
Lyme illness could cause all kinds of signs. Some folks develop a persistent fever, rashes, or complications. Others have continual 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 tough to diagnose. Dr. Jay Davidson explains extra in this podcast.
The place Are Ticks a Downside?
Circumstances of tick-borne illness are likely to cluster across the northeastern United States. Nevertheless, based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), not less than one case of Lyme illness has occurred in each state. Try this map of circumstances reported by the CDC from 1990 by 2021.
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine have the best incidence price of Lyme circumstances. Knowledge from 2022 exhibits a mean of about 200 circumstances per 100,000 individuals occurred in these three states. Midwestern states are additionally experiencing elevated circumstances 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 pattern.
Lyme illness is constant to unfold to different states, so be proactive and do what you’ll be able to 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.
Tips on how to Test for Ticks
Engorged ticks are simple to identify, however some might 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, rigorously 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
Somewhat than play naturalist, I’ll level you to the most effective tick identification instrument I’ve discovered. This handy chart that includes photos of ticks means that you can kind by area, kind, maturity levels, feeding levels, and even by the illnesses varied kinds of ticks might transmit. The deer tick (black-legged tick) is the primary 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 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. Should you’re a seasoned father or mother or have pets, you’ve possible confronted this case earlier than. Nevertheless, when you haven’t, right here’s what to do:
Test to see if the tick is connected. Should you spot a small, flat tick crawling in your garments, pores and skin, or flooring, it’s a superb signal, because it possible 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 individual within the residence.
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 along with your naked fingers. As a substitute, 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 connected, right here’s what to do (and to not do):
How NOT to Take away a Tick
There are many residence 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 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 vomit the contents of its abdomen (pathogens included!) into the pores and skin. That’s precisely what we don’t need 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 could work, it could additionally go away 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 scripting this put up!)
What to Do As a substitute: Secure Tick Elimination
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 hold one on my keychain throughout tick season.
In contrast to 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 instrument, use tweezers, however you’ll want to seize the tick as near the top/mouth as attainable.
Tips on how to Take away a Tick
- First, attempt to ignore the super-mom adrenaline pumping by your physique!
- Strategy 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 elements 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 essential oil blend are additionally good choices.
How/The place to Ship a Tick For Testing
Testing for tick-borne sickness in people is frequently inaccurate. The ELISA take a look at usually run by healthcare suppliers in native clinics usually comes again adverse when different exams present an an infection. In actual fact, it could miss over half of all Lyme circumstances. A Western Blot take a look at could also be extra correct, however solely when interpreted by totally different requirements than the CDC’s.
One of the vital trusted laboratories for Lyme illness testing is Igenex.. Along with Lyme, additionally they display 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 different, there’s Vibrant Wellness. Whereas corresponding to Igenex, it comes at a decrease price. Vibrant Wellness presents complete Lyme panels. They will detect totally different borrelia species in addition to co-infections frequent with Lyme illness. These corporations permit sufferers to request a house take a look at or ship the tick (useless or alive) to have it examined for infections.
Chances are high possible that each one will likely 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
In accordance 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 at all times happen, so it’s crucial to examine for different signs. Youngsters will typically develop tick paralysis, which causes momentary numbness and tingling. For an entire checklist of signs, see the CDC’s tick 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 immediately, 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 contemporary chew to assist stop illness transmission all through the physique.
Tick Prevention Is the Greatest Remedy (for Now)
You’ll be able to take some preventative measures to keep away from ticks within the first place, lowering your threat of tick- and different insect bites. The choices for battling ticks aren’t excellent (particularly when you desire to keep away from chemical substances, as I do), and I can solely hope now we have extra choices for controlling the Lyme outbreak on the horizon.
Till then, listed below are among the steps we will take immediately to let our children go adventuring without worry:
1. Tick-Proof Your Yard
It’s most likely no shock that I don’t advocate skilled chemical sprays for the yard, even to cut back ticks. Whereas many corporations tout this as “secure,” if it kills ticks, it most likely isn’t good in your pets or children, not to mention the surroundings and different innocent bugs in your yard.
There are fairly just a few logical (and pure) steps to discourage ticks:
- Maintain the grass quick. Ticks are generally present in lawns, notably in areas with tall grass, dense vegetation, and leaf litter. Maintain your garden well-maintained by mowing frequently 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 desire shaded, humid environments, so growing daylight publicity could make the garden much less hospitable for them.
- Mulch with cedar chips. Studies show 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.
- Contemplate Tick Tubes: Tick tubes are cardboard cylinders crammed with handled cotton that mice convey again to their nests. The handled cotton kills ticks on the mice, lowering the chance of ticks attaching to people.
- Get yard chickens! Apart from offering contemporary 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 reasonably safe possibility at decrease concentrations, it’s not really useful for pregnant ladies or youngsters underneath six months. Many research additionally level to attainable unintended 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 might be as efficient as DEET. My natural 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 effective) 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 knowledgeable Stephen Buhner recommends adults take 1,000 mg of Astragalus every day to keep at bay ticks.
3. Test 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 lavatory, and/or educate children to examine themselves and one another. The black-legged tick nymph most frequently transmits Lyme illness, and it’s solely concerning the dimension of a poppy seed. That is probably the most complete checklist I’ve discovered for tips on how to conduct a complete tick check.
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 tooth step. This web site has a free activity e-book for educating younger youngsters tips on how to 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 outside in the summertime. Be good when mountaineering and observe 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 will help stop ticks from crawling onto uncovered pores and skin. Mild-colored clothes additionally helps make ticks extra seen.
- Select excessive boots reasonably than athletic footwear: Once more, you’ll need to keep away from simply accessible pores and skin.
- Put on a wide-brimmed hat: Broad-brimmed hats can hold ticks from crawling from tall brush onto the again of your neck or hair.
- Contemplate permethrin clothing: I don’t love the concept of utilizing chemical substances, however I really 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 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 a superb soak: Bathe or bathe as quickly as attainable after mountaineering. Make certain to take action inside 2 hours of coming inside.
It would appear to be an odd household exercise, however we hold robes within the mudroom! That means, we will strip off after mountaineering, throw the whole lot within the dryer, and head proper for the showers.
5. Shield Pets
Pets are additionally inclined to tick-borne illnesses, and it’s usually 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 strive 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.
Remaining 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 August). Should you discover a tick connected to your pores and skin, take away it immediately –the proper means– to cut 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 got different concepts to forestall them?
