Because you will probably not feel a tick biting you, it’s a good practice to check yourself for ticks thoroughly after spending time outdoors.
1. Locate the tick.
Look for a small bump on the skin, similar to the last remnants of a scab before it heals. Ticks vary in size from the head of a pin to a fingernail (when they are engorged) depending on the type and the stage of maturity. Ticks are usually brown or reddish. Check behind the knee, between fingers and toes, in the underarms, in the belly button, in and behind the ear, on the neck, in the hairline, and on the top of the head.
2. Act quickly to remove the tick.
Use a commercially available tick removal tool if one is available. Follow the instructions that come with the device. If no tick removal device is available, locate a pair of medium- or fine-tipped tweezers.
3. Place the tip of the tweezers around the area where the jaws of the tick enter the skin.
Using a slow, steady motion, pull the tick away from the skin. Do not jerk, crush, squeeze, or puncture the tick, because more pathogens from the tick may get into the wound. If part of the tick breaks off, try to remove it as you would a splinter. Your body will naturally eject the foreign material over time, so leave it alone if you cannot remove it easily.
4. If no tweezers are available, use the nails of your index finger and thumb.
Avoid touching the tick with your skin; use latex gloves, plastic baggies, or even paper towels to cover the skin of your fingers. If nothing to protect your skin is available, try using two credit cards as tweezers: squeeze the edges together to grab the tick and then pull firmly away from the skin. Failing this, it is better to remove the tick with bare forefinger and thumb than to leave it attached.
5. Immediately disinfect the area around the bite with soap and water, alcohol, or antibacterial ointment. Place the tick, dead or alive, in a sealable container.
Include a lightly moistened paper towel. Take the tick to a local health department to be analyzed, to determine if it is carrying disease.
April 28th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
omg i had a tick and it was the size of my kitty kitty jazzy baby’s nose!!!!!!!!! (my cat) and than my mom poped it like a zit!!!! and all thiss blood came outit was all over my head the yeah