Boy with tick removed surgically from eardrum

Three days after playing outside, a 9-year-old kid felt something stranger in his ear and continued to hear a buzzing sound.

Doctors at Yale-New Haven Hospital quickly understood why. The bull had a tick attached to the tympanum, which was now inflamed.

"We tried to remove the tick using an operating microscope at the office, but the tick could not be removed," said Dr. David Kasle and Erik Waldman appeared in the May 2 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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The tick capitula – the parts of the mouth that probe, hold and suck blood – has been "buried," said Kasle. Pulling the tick straight up could tear the membrane, CNN reported.

The boy was taken to surgery and the doctors used a microscope and a small hook to remove the tick from his eardrum. The tick has been identified as a Dermacentor variabilis, commonly known as the American dog tick. This tick transmits the bacteria responsible for Spotted Fever in the Rocky Mountains.

How can you prevent this from happening to you or your children? One word: precautions.

"As of Easter, our most common ticks are active," said Lmer Gray, public health entomologist of the Cooperative Extension of the University of Georgia, at the Newnan Times-Herald. "Every time you walk in the grbad that touches your legs, you have to take precautions otherwise you could go home with ticks. There is no need to be in the woods to pick them up. "

But the tick season is really all year round in Georgia and other states. The best prevention is to keep your yard, shrubs and trees cut, and to watch your pets often (especially behind their ears). If you have any other questions about tick prevention in pets, ask your local veterinarian for safe products.

"Ticks thrive in wet, shady areas and tend to die in dry, sunny areas," said Russ Jundt, expert on mosquitoes and ticks.

Before going out, Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend treating any bare skin with an insect repellent containing DEET, as well as clothes and items containing products containing 0.5% permethrin.

Try to avoid woody or bushy areas with tall grbad and stacks of leaves. If you go into the woods, stay as much as possible in the center of the trail.

When you return, wash your clothes in hot water (cold or medium will not kill ticks), then take a shower. Do a body check after bathing. Use a pocket mirror or a full mirror to view all parts of your body.

Check:

• Under the arms
• In and around the ears
• Belly button
• Back of the knees
• In and around the hair
• Between the legs
• Around the waist

If you find a tick that uses you as a feeding bag, the CDC recommends:

1. Use fine-tipped forceps to catch the tick as close as possible to the surface of the skin.
2. Pull up with constant and even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the rupture of the mouthparts and their maintenance in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouthpieces with tweezers. If you can not easily remove the mouth with a clean tweezer, leave it and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with alcohol or soap and water.
4. Never smash a tick with your fingers. Eliminate a live tick by putting it in alcohol, in a sealed bag or container, wrap it well in tape or throw it in the toilet.

By taking proper precautions, you and your family can enjoy the outdoors all year round.

© 2019 Cox Media Group.