How to Remove a Tick

[hardboiledblond]

I've read in this community people asking for an easy way to remove ticks so I thought I'd share what someone told me lately.

She said the best way to remove a tick is with a cotton ball soaked in liquid soap, you hold the soaked cotton ball on the tick for 15-20 seconds and the tick lifts right out on the cotton ball! It's easier than using

Comments

[star_lace]

While it might be easier, this isn't a safe way to remove a tick. Using anything other than tweezers (soap, vaseline, a match, etc) can force the tick to vomit. In doing so, it will release the contents of its gut (including any bacteria and viruses it is harboring) into your body which can make you sick. Some diseases that ticks carry can become chronic and can even be fatal so it's not something to mess around with. The safest way to remove a tick is to grasp it by the head with tweezers and gently pull until it releases.

[hardboiledblond]

wow, I didn't know that. Ticks are crazy little things.

[star_lace]

Yeah, they're not fun to deal with. Like disturbedme, I'm also co-infected with multiple tick-borne infections so I'd venture to guess this a subject we both know more about than we'd like to.

[cknights]

Hi, I saw that you are the moderator for lyme_disease and did join that community but it wasn't very active. My boyfriend has been infected with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases for probably about 5 years now. Any other support groups on LJ or info to pass along? Thanks, and sorry for the thread-jack.

[star_lace]

The community is quiet, but usually you'll get quite a few responses if you post so don't let it scare you. We're the biggest support group I know of on LJ. I help run another group on facebook which is larger (7K+ members) called Lyme Disease Awareness if you're on there.

The most important thing is for him to see a Lyme Literate doctor (LLMD). You can pm me if you'd like help finding one in your area. Diet-wise, he should eliminate sugar and caffeine and he should take probiotics daily. He may want to peruse these Lyme Treatment Guidelines.

If you have any other questions or concerns, don't hesitate to pm me and I'll do my best to help!

[cknights]

Thanks, maybe I'll re-join the community. He sees an LLMD in seattle and is currently on roatating antiobiotics, naturpathic meds, and probiotics.

And we will definitely be looking into the Lyme treatment guidelines.