Ticks Should Be Safely Removed As Soon As Possible
Ticks belong to the same order as do spiders, the arachnids, and are found in nearly every part of North America. These creatures are parasites that live by sucking the blood of vertebrates such as dogs, lizards, birds, and human beings. Nearly anything that has blood is game for ticks, although some do specialize in their choice of host. While ticks are found most commonly where it is warm and the level of humidity is high, they can be found in the northern-most states or provinces during the spring, summer, and autumn. We have found here in northern Wisconsin that ticks will appear as soon as the ground thaws and remain active outside until the first snowfall, even frosts do little to curtain their activities. The size of ticks can vary from those that are a quarter of an inch long, such as the mammal soft tick, to the nearly microscopic deer tick.
How To Acquire Ticks
Any time that you or your family goes outside in warmer weather, you will be at risk of picking up a tick. These creatures position themselves on the tips of branches or grass stems and wait for a potential host to get near enough to latch onto. The ticks keep their front 4 legs outstretched for just this purpose. Keep in mind that ticks can more quite quickly and will find a way beneath your clothes in a short period of time, so check your clothing periodically while outside.
Once you get back into the house, remove the clothes you have been wearing, and take a shower, if possible. Ticks generally move around for quite some time before finding the right place to bite, so a shower will wash them off before they have a chance to attach. Check all spots that have hair, such as the head, underarms, and groin.
Why Ticks Are Dangerous
As if ticks were not repulsive enough on their own, they often carry bacterial or viral diseases, some of which can be quite serious. Once a tick bites, it injects anticoagulant so that the blood at the site will not clot, and the coagulant makes it easier for pathogens to enter your system. However, it does take a certain period of time, usually 48 to 72 hours, before the infective agents can be passed on to the host. This is why removing the tick as quickly as possible is so important.
Almost everyone has heard of Lyme disease, and this condition causes fever, fatigue, and headache, and the bite will often have rings of rash around it. Ehrlichiosis symptoms are very similar to those of Lyme disease, but fatalities can occur more easily with this disease than with Lyme. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is another serious bacterial illness that can cause serious complications and sometimes death. The good news about these illnesses is that they are all readily treatable with antibiotics.
Ticks can also spread viral illnesses such as shingles and encephalitis. Babesiosis is another tick-borne disease that is most prevalent in the southern states. This is actually caused by protozoa, and often goes undetected. There is a treatment for this condition, and if testing has not turned up Lyme or Ehrlichiosis, ask for a test for this specifically. As Babesiosis is potentially fatal, being provided with the proper medication is important.
Removing Ticks Safely
How you remove a tick will often make a difference in the outcome of the bite. Ticks have barbed mouthparts that they stick into the host’s flesh. These are designed to make it difficult for the tick to be dislodged from its meal. When removing a tick, use a very fine pair of tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, do not squeeze the body of the tick as more infective agents can be introduced into the host. Use a steady, smooth, slow motion to pull the tick away, this will help to prevent the mouthparts breaking off in the skin. Mouthparts that remain in the skin often become infected. Do not stick a lighted cigarette against the tick’s body, it will only burrow further in, and do not bother with coating it with Vaseline in the hopes of suffocating it, this will do nothing.
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