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Tick removal
Ticks are small, insect-like creatures that live in woods and fields. They attach to you as you brush past bushes, plants, and grass. Once on you, ticks often move to a warm, moist location. They are often found in the armpits, groin, and hair. Ticks attach firmly to your skin and begin to draw blood for their meal. This process is painless. Most people will not notice the tick bite .
Tick bite
Ticks are bugs that can attach to you as you brush past bushes, plants, and grass. Once on you, ticks often move to a warm, moist place on your body...
Ticks can be fairly large, about the size of a pencil eraser. They can also be so small that they are very hard to see. Ticks can cause a number of health conditions. Some of these can be serious.
Considerations
While most ticks do not carry diseases, some ticks can cause:
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Colorado tick fever
Colorado tick fever
Colorado tick fever is a viral infection. It is spread by the bite of the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni).
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Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread through the bite of one of several types of ticks.
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Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a disease caused by a type of bacteria carried by ticks.
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Tularemia
Tularemia
Tularemia is a bacterial infection common in wild rodents. The bacteria are passed to humans through contact with tissue from the infected animal. ...
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First Aid
If a tick is attached to you, follow these steps to remove it:
- Grasp the tick close to its head or mouth with tweezers. DO NOT use your bare fingers. If needed, use a tissue or paper towel.
- Pull the tick straight out with a slow and steady motion. Avoid squeezing or crushing the tick. Be careful not to leave the head embedded in the skin.
- Clean the area well with soap and water. Also wash your hands thoroughly.
- Save the tick in a jar. Watch the person who was bitten carefully over the next week or two for indications of Lyme disease.
- If all parts of the tick cannot be removed, get medical help. Bring the tick in the jar to your doctor's appointment.
Do Not
- DO NOT try to burn the tick with a match or other hot object.
- DO NOT twist the tick when pulling it out.
- DO NOT try to kill, smother, or lubricate the tick with oil, alcohol, Vaseline, or similar material while the tick is still embedded in the skin.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your doctor if you have not been able to remove the entire tick. Also call in the days following a tick bite if you develop:
- A rash
- Flu-like symptoms, including fever and headache
- Joint pain or redness
- Swollen lymph nodes
Call 911 if you have any signs of:
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- Increasingly severe headache which does not respond to medicine
- Paralysis
- Severe headache
- Trouble breathing
Prevention
- Wear long pants and long sleeves when walking through heavy brush, tall grass, and thickly wooded areas.
- Pull your socks over the outside of your pants to prevent ticks from crawling up your leg.
- Keep your shirt tucked into your pants.
- Wear light-colored clothes so that ticks can be spotted easily.
- Spray your clothes with insect repellant.
- Check your clothes and skin often while in the woods.
After returning home:
- Remove your clothes. Look closely at all your skin surfaces, including your scalp. Ticks can quickly climb up the length of your body.
- Some ticks are large and easy to locate. Other ticks can be quite small, so carefully look at all black or brown spots on the skin.
- If possible, ask someone to help you examine your body for ticks.
- An adult should examine children carefully.
References
Bolgiano EB, Sexton J. Tick-borne illnesses. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2014:chap 134.
Traub, SJ, Cummins, GA. Tick-borne diseases. In: Auerbach, PS. ed. Auerbach: Wilderness Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA. Elsevier Mosby; 2012:chap 51.
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Lyme disease - illustration
The most common early sign of lyme disease is the appearance of a rash on the skin that looks like a "bull's eye". The rash begins as a reddened area near the area of the tick bite. As the rash gets bigger, it clears in the center and develops a red ring around the outer perimeter. Other symptoms include muscle or joint aches, stiff neck, headache, weakness, fever, swollen lymph nodes and other flu-like symptoms.
Lyme disease
illustration
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Deer and dog tick - illustration
Ticks are small, insect-like creatures that live in woods and fields. They can attach to people or animals as they brush past bushes, plants, and grass. Ticks can be fairly large, as big as a pencil eraser, or so small that they are almost impossible to see. While most ticks do not carry diseases, some ticks can cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, and tularemia.
Deer and dog tick
illustration
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Tick imbedded in the skin - illustration
This is a close-up photograph of a tick embedded in the skin. Ticks are important because they can carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, Colorado tick fever, Lyme disease, and others.
Tick imbedded in the skin
illustration
-
Lyme disease - illustration
The most common early sign of lyme disease is the appearance of a rash on the skin that looks like a "bull's eye". The rash begins as a reddened area near the area of the tick bite. As the rash gets bigger, it clears in the center and develops a red ring around the outer perimeter. Other symptoms include muscle or joint aches, stiff neck, headache, weakness, fever, swollen lymph nodes and other flu-like symptoms.
Lyme disease
illustration
-
Deer and dog tick - illustration
Ticks are small, insect-like creatures that live in woods and fields. They can attach to people or animals as they brush past bushes, plants, and grass. Ticks can be fairly large, as big as a pencil eraser, or so small that they are almost impossible to see. While most ticks do not carry diseases, some ticks can cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, and tularemia.
Deer and dog tick
illustration
-
Tick imbedded in the skin - illustration
This is a close-up photograph of a tick embedded in the skin. Ticks are important because they can carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, Colorado tick fever, Lyme disease, and others.
Tick imbedded in the skin
illustration
Review Date: 2/4/2015
Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
