Summer is upon us, and now is the time when people go to wild places for camping and fishing trips. The biggest concern of these campers is, among other things, the tick, a small arachnid known to carry Lyme disease. Here is what the tick is doing.
Caution is warranted. It is best to use some type of insect repellent, such as Off!, which can repel ticks. and other insects that could cause trouble. Since ticks are attracted to warm areas, it is important to try and keep access to those areas away. Of course in the heat of summer this is very uncomfortable, but you can tie up your shirt sleeves – just make sure you’re comfortable – to try and stop them from taking you.
Of course, they cannot all be prevented, but everything, and the bite of a tick, can happen. There are several ways in these cases, such as a tick that has attached itself to you.
Ideally, if you can see the tick or have someone who can (if it attaches itself to your back), you’ll want to try and with a pair of pliers. When you remove that, try and make sure you get the tick off you and consume its drinker. DO NOT try and remove the tick from the abdomen, this will increase the chance that whatever the tick has (Lyme disease) will be transferred into your bloodstream. Keep away from the mouth if possible.
Of course, ideal conditions rarely occur. If you can see the tick, but you don’t have tweezers, you can try to remove it with a pair. It can drain very well when it is attracted to heat. DO try to insert the tick, because they will make its removal more difficult, you will have more mess of blood on you. Hold the match so that the flame is 2-3 inches from the abdomen of the tick. I tried this and it worked, but the key is that you are not trying to kill the tick, you are trying to remove it.
Wet tobacco, or viscous liquids such as motor oil (not that many people carry around with them on camping trips, but you never know), will do also the duty of killing ticks, but this should be the last, so that the tick burrows deeper, in an attempt to escape whatever it is that you have applied, also doing the removal. harder
When removed, examine the bite area for any signs of head or mouth still in the wound itself. If it is, try and remove it with a pair of pliers. Clean the bite with hydrogen peroxide or clean water and soap, and observe the bite for several days for signs. infection If rash appears, go to the doctor immediately, as this is typically a sign of Lyme disease.
