How to Remove a Tick Safely!

It's tick season again and if you spend any time outdoors, you could find one buried into your skin or scalp. If this happens, what's the best way to remove it? Tick removal can be a relatively simple process if approached correctly.

It's important to remove a tick as quickly as possible after it attaches to reduce the risk of transmission of tick borne disease. Unfortunately since a tick bite often causes no pain, a bite may not be noticed for several days which could increase the risk of contracting a serious tick born illness. For this reason, it's important to check you, your loved ones, and pets regularly for pets immediately atter spending any time outdoors. If you do find a tick, here's how to remove it:

1. Locate a big, sturdy pair of tweezers.

2. Put on a pair of latex gloves.

3. Use the tweezers to grasp the ticker firmly at its head.

4. Pull back firmly with steady pressure until the tick is dislodged from the skin.

5. Place the tick into a jar of alcohol.

6. Preserve the tick in the jar in case you should need to seek medical attention for the tick bite later.

7. Gently clean the affected area with alcohol.

Caution! Avoid doing the following:

1.Never handle a tick with your bare hands.

2. Never apply a hot match to the body of the tick. This is a commonly performed practice which should be avoided.

3. Never cover the tick with any substances such as gasoline, alcohol, or nail polish. If you do so, you may cause the tick to regurgitate infectious material into your bite resulting in an increased risk of tick borne disease.

4. Never manipulate or twist the head of the tick. This movement, too, can cause infectious material to enter the bite site.

5. Always make sure the tick has been completely removed. If parts remain under the skin, it can increase your risk for secondary infection.

After tick removal, it's a good practice to call your family doctor. Certain groups of people are at higher risk of tick borne disease including those who live in areas where there's a high incidence of tick related illness, people who have immune systems disorders, and women who are pregnant. These groups may need to be placed on antibiotics to prevent secondary infection.

So get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather! Just be sure to check yourself and your family frequently for the presence of ticks and be sure to practice safe tick removal.