Safe Tick Removal

Ticks are the second largest transporter of diseases, second only to the air born mosquitos. This makes ticks a rather serious annoyance, and even though they are incredibly small (about the size of a match head), their painless bite makes them a significant threat.

If you begin to experience symptoms associated with a tick bite, including sore joints or swelling, get to a doctor immediately as you may have contracted a tick born disease, such as Lyme Disease.

If you are bitten by a tick, it is highly likely that you won’t even be aware of it. This is because tick bites are usually painless, and any symptoms, pain, or otherwise don’t usually manifest until well after the tick has departed. If you know, or suspect, that you have been bitten by a tick, follow the steps below:

1. Stand naked in front of a mirror. If you have a spouse (or someone that you are really comfortable with), ask them to help you look for ticks. You are looking for dark brown/black spidery insects that vary from the size of a pinhead to the size of a bead. Do not attempt to remove them while you are looking for them. Be sure to check all of the inside joints (armpits and behind the knees), as well as around your groin.
2. Make a note of where all of the ticks that you have found are. If you have a spouse or close friend nearby, ask them to get a pair of tweezers. Do not attempt to remove ticks with your hands! Doing so may leave part of the tick attached to your body as well as exposing your hands to whatever diseases that it may be carrying. Grip the tick as close as you can to your skin. Make sure that you have a firm grip, but not one that is too overpowering. You do not want to sever the head from the tick; you want to have a grip that is solid enough that the tick will not slide out when you begin to pull away from your skin.
3. Pull straight back with consistent pressure. It may take a few seconds before the tick loosens and separates from the body - no matter what happens that tick will come off, even if it means literally ripping it off. If parts of the tick remains on the bite after you have removed it, use the tweezers to remove them. At no point should you use your hands.
4. Place the tick(s) in the sink and drown them, throw them in a fire, or squish them (with a tissue) - do whatever you need to do to ensure that the tick is dead and will not somehow regain mobility. At no point should you use any bare skin to squish the tick.
5. Once you have removed and disposed of all of the ticks, disinfect the bite site with some rubbing alcohol, and then thoroughly clean the bite, as well as your hands and face (clean your hands before your face). You may want to use some hand sanitizer as well. If you had more than one bite, you may benefit from simply taking a shower, getting the soap up to a good lather, and then giving yourself one heck of a clean.
6. Again, if you begin to experience any symptoms associated with tick bites, get to a doctor as soon as possible. It is better to be safe than sorry.

There are also some products available to help with tick removal:

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