Comments | naturalliving: How to Remove a Tick

hardboiledblond in naturalliving

How to Remove a Tick

May 26, 2009 19:02

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 ( Read more... )

advice, education

Comments 25

star_lace May 27 2009, 02:21:04 UTC

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 May 27 2009, 02:23:08 UTC

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

star_lace May 27 2009, 03:40:49 UTC

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 May 27 2009, 04:44:52 UTC

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.

Thread 6

disturbedme May 27 2009, 02:37:57 UTC

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree.

As someone with Lyme disease and co-infections myself, I don't like seeing misinformation about this subject around. This is a dangerous disease and nothing to play around with. It might not be *as* dangerous in our pets or other animals (since they are easily treated, MUCH easier and without complications such as humans have with it), so if you want to take it out of your pet this way and be very vigilant in watching for symptoms in your pet, go ahead.... but if you find a tick on YOURSELF, I'd caution you to please not remove the tick in this way. And go by the CDC's guides for tick removal: http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tick_removal.html

Lyme disease is very hard to treat and hard to cure.

hardboiledblond May 27 2009, 02:43:22 UTC

It seems I'm getting an education on tick removal! I wasn't aware this was such a bad idea. Maybe I should delete this post.

pearlbeachlady May 27 2009, 02:47:05 UTC

OP, you may want to edit your post with the correct information as advised by the comment above. The step-by-step instructions provided on the CDC's website are very clear and would be helpful (and very natural) to anyone interested in tick removal.

It was a good idea posting about this though, since a lot of people are spending more time outdoors due to the warmer seasons. My boyfriend was bit by one last week and we used instructions very similar to those given on the CDC's website, after mistakenly using petroleum jelly, as my boyfriend suggested because that's what he'd heard. After some internet searching, I found the correct instructions on a few sites and we thankfully were able to remove the tick intact.

cordelia_sue May 27 2009, 02:53:33 UTC

I agree, the post should be edited with at least a disclaimer that the information is incorrect and to read the comments for more information.

Thread 8

(The comment has been removed)

f1ymetothemoon May 27 2009, 04:43:13 UTC

I hope you read the edit.

(The comment has been removed)

f1ymetothemoon May 27 2009, 20:04:06 UTC

mod note darkenedminds May 27 2009, 03:52:01 UTC

I'm agreeing that this is bad advice; the woundcare nurse in me was cringing till I noticed the edit. Could you please do a strike code to hide out the first part of the post?

Re: mod note hardboiledblond May 27 2009, 04:30:19 UTC

I don't know how to do that. I think you mean so it looks crossed out? Right? I don't know how to do it. Do you want me to delete the post?

Re: mod note rainbow May 27 2009, 04:41:30 UTC

You can use < strike > and < /strike > (with the spaces removed) to show stricken out text.

Re: mod note f1ymetothemoon May 27 2009, 04:42:55 UTC

Shoulda read before I replied... oops.

Thread 9

eireannoir May 29 2009, 17:57:55 UTC

Thank you for posting this. I too just used the soap method of my mother, not knowing it was dangerous. Education gladly received and I will definitely not be doing that again.