LYME SCI: Help! I’ve been bitten by a tick. Now what?
Help, I've been bitten by a tick
Tick season is in full-swing. How do I know that? I wake up practically every day to another text or email from a friend or relative saying they found a tick on themselves, a loved one or a pet.

Last week, I got a desperate call from a relative whose son found a tick embedded in his skin after a camping trip. Both my cousin and her son are well aware of my daughter’s missed diagnosis and years’ long battle with Lyme and co-infections. Needless to say, they were in a panic. More about this later…

Of course the best thing is to prevent tick bites in the first place, but life happens and that’s probably why you’re reading this.

Here’s my advice:

Step 1 – Take a picture of the tick
Take a picture while the tick is still attached. This will show details of the tick that can help you identify it later. It will also show how deeply embedded the tick is, how engorged it is, and if a rash has already formed prior to you removing the tick and cleaning the area.

Step 2 – Remove the tick
Proper and prompt removal is critical. Read this section very carefully before getting started. If you do not feel comfortable removing the tick, see your physician or go to the nearest urgent care. (Although I’ve heard horror stories of MDs improperly removing ticks…)

DO NOT squeeze, twist or squash the tick. Don’t burn it with a match or cover it with Vaseline or nail polish. Squeezing or agitating the tick may force it to expel more pathogens into your body.
Use fine-point tweezers or a special tick-removing tool. Grasp the ticks mouth parts or get as close to the skin as possible.
DO NOT pull back sharply; this may tear the mouthparts from the body of the tick and leave them embedded in the skin.
Pull the tick straight out with steady, slow, even pressure as pictured above. Be patient. The tick has long mouthparts. Pull steadily without twisting until you can ease the tick head straight out of the skin. It may take several seconds to a few minutes for the tick to unhook its mouth. (Click here to view a tick’s mouth and why it is so important to pull out the tick correctly.) DO NOT dispose of the tick.
Wash the bite area and your hands with soap and water. Disinfect the site with rubbing alcohol, then apply a triple antibiotic ointment or antiseptic.

More at this link: https://www.lymedisease.org/bitten-by-tick/

Many Blessings,
CrystalRiver