FAQs: TICK BITE PREVENTION​ &

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE BIT

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PREVENTION REALLY IS THE BEST MEDICINE! 

 

​Permethrin kills ticks on contact; spray on clothing, shoes, hats, tents, lawn blankets and gear and let dry (no skin contact) prior to heading outdoors. It can be purchased online and at most outdoors stores like Bass Pro, REI, etc. 

 

For skin, picaridin is preferred by some over DEET.

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Do thorough, frequent tick checks during and after outdoors activities (even gardening).

 

Put all clothing and gear on high heat in the dryer for at least 60 minutes to desiccate and kill ticks (hot water alone is not effective). Check your pets, too!

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A lint roller is a handy tool for nabbing ticks that you may have missed during regular checks.

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Having a change of clothing on-hand or in your vehicle is useful, too.  (Place your clothing, shoes, and gear in a sealable bag as you transport them to avoid dispersing ticks in your vehicle.)

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DIY "tick tubes" are inexpensive to make and can help secure your yard or other outdoor space.  Fill PVC pipes (cut to desired length) with permethrin-sprayed cotton.  Mice will take the cotton back to their nests as nesting material, thereby killing ticks on the transporting mice and on those in the nest. (The mice themselves remain unharmed.)

 

*There is some evidence that natural oils applied to the skin can repel ticks, but this has not been proven, or disproven, in the literature.

 

    IF YOU ARE BIT... 

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1.  REMOVE THE TICK PROMTLY AND PROPERLY. 

Using fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick firmly as close to the skin as possible and pull it straight up and out; be sure to get the mouthparts too. 

 

Do not apply any substances or heat/flame to it beforehand, and avoid twisting it as you remove it.  Either of those actions will increase the likelihood of it regurgitating more of its stomach contents (where the pathogens lie) into your bloodstream.

 

Cleanse the area with a skin antiseptic or wash with soap and water. 

                                                                         

2.  SAVE THE TICK FOR PATHOGEN TESTING.

Tick Check, Ticknology, and Tick Report are some of my preferred tick-testing labs.  Some states/counties might offer free tick testing.

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3.  SEEK PROPHYLACTIC ANIMICROBIAL TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY.  

    (Do not wait for tick analysis or blood test results.)

 

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     MANY PEOPLE DO NOT RECALL BEING BITTEN BY A TICK; TICKS ARE OFTEN DISMISSED AS FRECKLES OR SPECS OF DIRT, AND CAN BE AS TINY AS THE POINT ON A PEN. 

 

     ANTIBODIES TAKE BETWEEN 4-6 WEEKS POST-BITE TO APPEAR ON A BOOD TEST, AND SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE UNABLE TO MAKE DETECTABLE AMOUNTS BECAUSE BORRELIA CAN DYSREGULATE ONE'S IMMUNE SYSTEM. THEREFORE, SEEK IMMEDIATE PROPHYLACTIC TREATMENT FOR ANY KNOWN OR SUSPECTED BITE.                                                                                                              

     STANDARD BLOOD TESTS ARE NOTORIOUSLY INACCURATE FOR ALL TICK-BORNE DISEASES (~ 35-40%).  USE OF SPECIALTY LABS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.                                                                                                  

     SOME INDIVIDUALS "FEEL WORSE BEFORE FEELING BETTER" ONCE TREATMENT HAS BEGUN.  THIS IS BECAUSE OF A JARISCH-HERXIMIER, AKA "HERX", OR "DIE-OFF". REACTION. When some bacteria and parasites/protozoa are killed, they release lipopolysaccharides and/or endotoxins into the bloodstream that trigger a pro-inflammatory flood of chemicals by the immune system such as certain cytokines, interleukins, proteins, and oxidizing agents.

 

     During a herx, a flare or worsening of symptoms typically occurs, though new sensations can develop as well. (Distinguishing a herx from a worsening of symptoms can sometimes be quite tricky.) The good news is that there are things one can do to lessen its effects. 

                           

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