Deer ticks are commonly found in forest areas, and can carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease and other infectious diseases. It is important for us to act quickly and swiftly to prevent the spread of this disease. Removing the deer tick from the victim's skin within 36 hours of being bitten can prevent the spread of Lyme disease. There are several deer tick removal methods that can be done during this time that can save you.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Tweezers to Remove Ticks
Step 1. Use tweezers with a pointed tip
The tweezers that you usually have at home are generally too large and have the potential to tear the body of the tick during the removal process. This can increase the risk of infection or the spread of Lyme disease.
- If you don't have tweezers with a pointed tip, use the tweezers available at home. The use of these tweezers is better than fingers.
- Don't use pliers. The pliers will squeeze the tick's body, and this can increase the risk of infection.
Step 2. Sterilize the bitten part of the skin
Before you remove the deer tick, make sure you have cleaned the tick and the area it bitten off. Soak a cotton swab in a disinfectant solution such as hydrogen peroxide, and wipe it on the part of the body that was bitten by the tick.
Using a disinfectant prior to the tick removal process keeps the area affected by the tick bite sterile and helps prevent the spread of other infectious diseases
Step 3. Pinch the head of the deer tick
Use pointed tweezers to pinch the part of the tick closest to the skin. The head of the deer tick is under the skin, and if the tick is disturbed, it will expel its entire contents into the body of the person who was bitten. Therefore, it would be better if you pinch the lice on the head. Avoid pinching the belly of the tick as this can cause the bacteria in it to be blown into the tick bite wound, and the bacteria may cause infectious disease.
By pinching the head of the deer tick, you will seal the throat and prevent the tick from spewing venom from its body onto the body of the person who was bitten
Step 4. Pull the tick in a slow, calm motion
Keep pulling the tick with a straight pull until all parts of its body are separated from the bitten part of the skin. If you pull too hard, the deer tick's body will be torn off, while the head is still stuck in the skin.
- Avoid twisting or pulling the deer tick.
- While it is highly recommended to remove all parts of the tick's body at once, don't worry if the head of the tick is cut off. The spread of the disease can still be minimized as long as the throat part of the tick is closed.
Step 5. Clean the bite wound
Wash the wound using clean water and use a disinfectant commonly sold in pharmacies to reduce the risk of infection. Clean any traces of blood or other body fluids, especially around the wound.
- Clean the wound using liquid iodine or alcohol, then rinse with clean water and soap.
- Do not scratch the bite mark too hard because it can irritate the bite mark.
Step 6. Remove fleas
Make sure the tick is dead by pinching it with tweezers. Soak the tick in alcohol, place it in a paper towel or plastic bag, then throw it in the trash. You can also flush it down the toilet, then flush.
Avoid pinching the tick with your fingers. This can cause the entrails of the diseased tick to touch your finger
Step 7. Test for lice in the laboratory
You can send a sample of deer ticks to the nearest laboratory or health department for testing. This can tell you if the tick is diseased. However, these laboratory tests are generally of minor importance, as they can only detect disease in the tick, and not in the victim of the bite. What's more, if you contract the disease from the tick, it's likely that the symptoms of the disease will already be visible before your test results come out.
Step 8. Observe the tick bite area, and watch for signs of infection
If the bite is red, oozing pus, or is painful, apply an antibiotic ointment or call your doctor. It is important for you to observe the symptoms of the disease and the complications that arise.
Record the date you were bitten. This can help your doctor to determine if you are experiencing symptoms of the disease caused by the tick
Method 2 of 3: Removing Ticks Using a Straw and Knot
Step 1. Place the straw at a 45-degree angle over the tick
Make sure the straw is big enough to surround the tick, but not so big that there's too much space around it. The straw will guide the knot of the rope that will later be used to tie the tick.
While you can do this on your own, it's best to have someone help you, depending on where the tick bite is. If you, or the person helping you, can't get the tick removed, see a doctor to get it removed safely
Step 2. Make a loose knot above or in the center of the straw using sewing thread or dental floss
If the knot is too tight, you won't be able to move the knot under the straw. On the other hand, if the knot is too loose, it will not be able to remove the tick.
Make a movable knot on the straw
Step 3. Lower the knot so that it is around the tick
Then, position the knot under your stomach so that it wraps around your head and mouth to make it easier to remove the tick.
Avoid tying knots around the tick's body. This will cause the lice's guts to come out of the wound
Step 4. Gently tighten the knot around the head of the tick
Pull both ends of the rope gently and carefully so as not to tear the body of the flea. Your main goal is to make a knot that will close the flea's throat so that the lice's guts don't come out.
Step 5. Unplug the straw and pull the rope up
Remove the straw and gently pull the rope and tick up. Before long, the lice will come off on their own without removing the contents of their stomach.
Make sure the lice are dead before removing them
Method 3 of 3: Intradermal Blister Action
Step 1. Check with the nearest doctor
If you live near a hospital or clinic, you can remove the tick using an intradermal blister procedure. This procedure is useful for removing the lice cleanly without risking evisceration, and without pulling the tick from the skin.
The implementation of this procedure is relatively quick and painless. However, this procedure uses a syringe so its application in patients with needle phobia is not recommended
Step 2. Lidocaine will be injected into the skin under the tick
This drug is used to anesthetize body tissues in certain areas. After that, Lidocaine-filled blisters will begin to form under the tick.
Lidocaine is also known as Xylocaine
Step 3. The tick will come off on its own
The tick will release its bite because the tick does not like the drug content of Lidocaine. The tick will also not eviscerate into the bite wound because the tick is not pulled during the extraction process.
- Make sure the tick doesn't run away and bite other body parts or even look for another victim.
- You can either remove the lidocaine from the blister or allow your body to break down the lidocaine on its own once the tick is removed.
Tips
- Prevent flea bites. Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when you hike around deer tick habitats. Use insect and flea repellants that contain DEET before you camp, hike, or spend time in deer tick-prone areas.
- See a doctor if you find lice a few days after you feel the bite. If the tick carries the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, and you don't feel the bite, the tick may have passed the disease on to you. Your doctor may give you antibiotics as a preventative measure.
Warning
- If you are unable to remove the deer tick, visit the nearest doctor as soon as possible. Although fleas can go away on their own, it would be best if they were removed before the disease was transmitted to you.
- See your doctor if you have symptoms of Lyme disease. These symptoms include joint pain, a rash around the bite mark, fever, tiredness, and other flu-like symptoms.
- Do not touch the tick with your bare hands.
