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You go hiking, camping or mountain biking, when suddenly you notice it: a tick. It may be on your dog, on your child or under your belt. No matter where he is, you are panicking. To begin, calm down. "The vast majority of tick bites do not cause disease transmission," says Jonathan Oliver, tick-borne bacteria expert and assistant professor in the University's Environmental Health Sciences Division. from Minnesota.
Nevertheless, there are many reasons to protect yourself from ticks. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 300,000 people each year are diagnosed with Lyme disease in the United States, making it the most common disease transmitted by small insects. If it is not treated, Lyme disease can cause arthritis and swelling of the joints, heart palpitations and nerve pain, among other negative effects. And there are other diseases and many species of harmful ticks in all parts of the country. We asked Oliver for suggestions on how to prevent tick bites and what to do in case of skin contact.
Prevention
Be aware of ticks habitat
Deer ticks, also known as blacklegged ticks, are the most worrisome in terms of Lyme disease transmission. They can be found anywhere in the United States, though usually in moist forest habitats, says Oliver. "As a general rule, ticks will be present during the cooler or wetter periods of the year. virus. Check your public health department's website for resources for the species for which your area is known and what to look for if you are heading to their potential habitat.
Know what to wear and apply
You can repel ticks in the same way that you repel insects. "DEET repellents work very well for ticks, just like mosquitoes," says Oliver. The 30% spraying of Ben's Insectifuge ($ 4) should suffice. "If you are regularly outdoors in places where you know there is an abundance of ticks, you can also wear permethrin-treated clothing," an EPA-approved formula for insect control. Check out ExOfficio's BugsAway collections or Toad & Co.'s Debug. Oliver also recommends that wearing long sleeves and pants will prevent ticks from reaching the skin and that harmful insects will be more visible on light-colored clothes.
Search for them
"Ticks grow with animals and people who do not notice them – it's all about their survival strategy," says Oliver. "If you notice them, remove them. Many diseases are not transmitted immediately – many take hours. If you are in a known tick area, do daily (or more frequent) checks of your entire body. Ticks usually look for hot, humid places like the scalp, armpits, groin, back of the knees or behind the ears. Do not forget to have your back checked by a friend.
Treatment
Remove a tick
So, you found a tick on your body? Get rid of him. "If the tick did not bite you, there is really nothing to worry about. Just brush it or pick it up with a tissue and rinse it, "says Oliver. "Yes he has bitten you, so he will be tied up. It is best to use tweezers to remove it. "Grab the tick as close to your skin as possible, then remove it right away. Try to avoid crushing the body and do your best to remove it. Some traditional remedies include touching the tick with a lit match or covering it with Vaseline, but Oliver does not recommend any of these. "The best thing to do is minimize the tick time for you," he says. Do not carry tweezers in your bag? You should start, but two plastic credit cards will work at the pinch. If you find a tick, do a thorough search of your body to make sure none of your friends are also hitched up.
Keep an eye on the symptoms
After a tick bite, pay special attention to the sensations of illness. "If you get stung by a tick and in the coming days or weeks you start to have flu-like symptoms, or if you see a rash near the bite site, see a doctor." says Oliver. A bull eye eruption is a common symptom of Lyme disease, but does not manifest in all patients. According to the CDC, early treatment with antibiotics often completely eliminates Lyme disease.
Ticks on pets
Take preventative measures to protect your dog from ticks. "Most flea collars are also effective against ticks and act like an insecticide or an insect repellent," says Oliver. "There is also a really effective vaccine against Lyme disease for dogs." If your dog walks in grassy and wet fields, check them carefully afterwards. You should be able to smell or see a tick, especially if it is engorged. Remove it the same way you would do it yourself: place the tweezers near the skin, grab the tick and remove it.
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