Tick bite? Don't panic! The bite itself does not spread Lyme disease. The Lyme
carrying organism actually lives in the ticks stomach. Only after it feeds on your
blood for 24 to 36 hours can it backwash the disease into your bloodstream. So if
you get in the daily habit of examining your skin, and removing any ticks you
acquired that day, you'll be fine! According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, you should follow these steps if you have experienced a
tick bite. To remove the tick, use fine tip tweezers to grasp the tick as close
to the skin surface as possible. Avoid folklore remedies - like nail-polish,
petroleum jelly, or heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Pull upward with
steady, even, pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick, this can cause the mouth parts
to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth parts
with clean tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth parts easily, leave them
alone and let the skin heal like you would for a tiny splinter, there's no
difference. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your
hands with rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, an iodine scrub, or an
antibacterial soap and water. After removal of the tick, you may notice some
redness and itching around the bite. Some people have more sensitive skin than
others, but three to five days of redness, itching, warmth, and irritation - similar to
that of a mosquito bite - is a common reaction. Redness alone does not mean
lyme disease. In areas where Lyme disease is common, such as here in central
Pennsylvania, a preventative single dose of an antibiotic called doxycycline may
be offered to adult patients who are not pregnant and to children older than
eight years of age when all of the following conditions exist - you are not
allergic to doxycycline, and have no contraindications to its use - the
attached tick can be identified as an adult or nymphal eyes capillaries tick
- the estimated time of attachment is longer than 36 hours based on the degree
of tick engorgement with blood or the likely time of exposure to the tick.
Preventive treatment can be started within 72 hours of tick removal. Lyme
disease is common in the county or state where the patient lives or has recently
traveled. Avoiding tick bites in the first place is always your best bet. The
CDC recommends: use EPA registered insect repellents, containing DEET, picaridin, IR
3535, oil of lemon, eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone. Tree
clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks, and tents with products containing
0.5% permethrin. Tape around your ankles and wrists if working in tall grass or
forests. Treat pets for ticks as recommended by a veterinarian. Check for
ticks daily especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the
bellybutton, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and on the
hairline and scalp. Shower soon after being outdoors. Landscaping techniques
such as mowing the lawn, frequently stacking wood neatly in dry areas, and
clearing tall grasses and brush, can help reduce tick populations in the yard.
Don't kill tick eating wildlife like possums, and encourage songbirds with
feeders. Even wild turkeys and chickens eat ticks. In summary, if you've been
bitten by a tick, remove it and clean the area as soon as possible. If you believe
the tick has been attached to you for longer than 36 hours or it has been
attached for an unknown length of time, then it's appropriate to contact your
primary care doctor for treatment in the form of a one-time dose of antibiotics
to prevent Lyme disease. People who experience a tick bite should be alert
for symptoms suggestive of tick borne illness such as a fever, rash, joint
swelling, or swollen lymph nodes, which often present one to two weeks after the
bite. If these or any other concerning symptoms develop,
contact your doctor for treatment and testing.