Ticks

[solar bud]

Twice now I have come back from my woodland and found something buried in my skin. I wasn't sure what it was the first time and took it out with tweezers, the second time I thought I'd better do some research.

Turns out they are sheep ticks.

Now I read that they can transmit Lyme Disease and Encephalitis, but I have no idea what the risk to me or anyone going to my wood would be from these things.

I should have known it wouldn't all be birdsong and bluebells.

Any advice appreciated!

[RichardKing]

Symptoms of Lyme disease are a bullseye shaped rash appearing some weeks after the bite.

My wife caught it almost 2 years ago in the French Pyrenees.

Her GP did 2 blood tests & both were negative.

Then I read up on the web & found that the bloodtests are not conclusive, the rash should be taken on its own,

So I had to educate the GP.

She then had a course of antibiotics which cleared it up. In the meantime a third bloodtest finally proved positive.

[Keith Williams]

From a number of sources, consensus seems that the best thing to do is to remove ticks as soon as possible. Use a special tool (use as instructions) or long tweezers to grab the head and pull out. A quarter turn (but not more) is sometimes recommended as you pull. Make sure the head is completely removed or infection can result - get medical attention if a bit gets left in. Infection is most likely when the tick stops feeding, some backflow is possible which is when the infectious bodies get into your bloodstream. This is either when the tick has finished feeding naturally, or if stress is put on the tick by trying to remove it using heat/cold/oil etc. Especially don't grab the tick by the body or you're likely to squeeze it's stomach contents back into you!

I've got specially shaped tweezers, from experience it's best to take the tick by surprise. If it's mucked about before the grab to remove it, it will dig further in and be more difficult to remove.

You're also supposed to keep the tick in case of later suspected infection, it's easier to check if the tick is carrying anything nasty. As Richard's post above, it may be hit and miss if tests show up the infection in the human.

[Exeldama]

You can also remove them by covering in vaseline/oil.. or some decent alcohol.....

[rogerspianocat]

vaseline or alcohol are NOT good ways to remove a tick - regurgitation will result! By all means drink the alcohol, or use it to kill the tick after you've removed it, so that you can have it analysed for Lyme disease potential, though putting it in an airtight container is just as good (why waste the alcohol).

[splodger]

about three years ago - i was bitten by a couple of ticks (deer) and as there was a small rash and a great deal of irritation - i had blood test for lyme disease - which was positive - i had to have a treatment of antibiotics - followed up with another blood test 3 months later - which was negative (phew) the place where the ticks bit - still to this day irritates like mad and has never really healed

i am a dab hand at removing ticks - having 3 springers that seem to get their fair share - (firm hold of body and clockwise twist then pull)

i would recommend that anybody receiving a bite themselves get a blood test done just in case

(i think it has to be at least a month after the initial bite for it to register for lyme)

[Keith Williams]

Splodger, better to grab the head than the body. As I said in my first post, don't stress the ticks with heat/cold/vaseline/oil because that will make them stop feeding and it's the backflow when this happens that is the most likely time for infection to get into your bloodstream. It'll get the tick off but...

If you're in an area known to contain ticks - To prevent them getting on you in the first place, tuck trousers into boots/socks to prevent access to skin. Cut back vegetation from regularly used paths - the ticks climb up vegetation and tag on to you as you brush past. Keep an eye on each other for ticks climbing up your clothes after you've been through vegetation. The ticks may climb about inside your clothing before attaching, so a full body examination is needed to ensure you're fully tick free! It's also worth researching your local area as some areas are know to have populations of infected ticks and other areas have ticks which are generally not infected. If you're aware and remove ticks promptly and correctly there isn't a huge risk of getting infected.

[Keith Williams]

I've never used or seen being used this tool, but I've heard good reports that it's safe and effective if you're not confident about using tweezers. - google Tick Removal Tool - The O'TOM Tick Twister

[Rich]

There's a good little article here, and a handy diagram of how to remove them!!

http://www.bada-uk.org/defence/removal/removaltweezers.php

Our wood is saturated with deer, surrounded by sheep and has a fair amount of braken which I believe is the ticks favourite hidey hole. Yet I haven't had a tick since I walked across Scotland 4 years ago. I'm not being complacent, but I wonder if it is a geographical thing and we don't seem to get them (or so many) here in the High Weald?

[Henrietta]

I got the otom tick removers from the vet. There are two in the pack, depending on the size of the tick. The dogs regularly pick them up fromthe bracken in the woods. They are easy to use. You just slide the remover which is pronged , along the skin and under the body of the tick. then turn slowly clockwise. You will feel it pop out. I then take it outside and crush it with a stone. This is better than removing with tweezers, when there is more chance of damaging the tick and not getting it all out.