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SALT LAKE CITY — With hunting season in full swing, many Utahns are outdoors hiking through brush and dealing with animals that may have ticks. In the event that you have a tick bite and burrow into you, here are some tips to safely and efficiently remove the insect.
Deer ticks are projected to be more widespread than ever before due to climate change, according to the National Wildlife Federation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people should not panic if they find a tick lodged in their body. The best thing to do is to remove it as soon as it is discovered, but remain calm while doing so.
The CDC recommends using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers to remove the insect and to grab the tick near the head. Individuals should not pull the tick by its body because the body might detach, leaving the head and mouth inside the skin to transmit disease or infection, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recommends once you grab the tick by the head, you should pull slowly and steadily outward. Do not twist the tick while you are pulling because it could cause the head to detach. Once the tick is removed, clean the bite with a disinfectant like rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub or soap and water, according to the CDC.
People should not use “folklore methods” to remove ticks. The USDA instructs people not to cover the tick with petroleum jelly or paint over it with nail polish to “smother it.” People are also advised not to use hot matches, alcohol or other irritants to remove the tick. These methods can cause the tick to burrow deeper into the skin and release more bacteria into the blood, according to the USDA.
Ticks are carriers of Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that causes arthritis, heart, brain and nerve problems. Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include red rashes near the tick bite, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, headache, neck stiffness, slight fever, swollen glands and stiffness in the joints and muscles. Anyone with these symptoms after being bitten by a tick should visit a doctor immediately.
The CDC reports people going into heavily wooded areas can avoid tick bites with the following tips:
- Tuck your pant legs into your socks and tuck your shirt into your pants.
- Wear close-toed shoes.
- Frequently inspect clothes and exposed skin while outdoors in heavily wooded areas.
- Don’t sit on the ground or on logs in bushy areas.
- Use insect repellents that contained DEET.
- Keep long hair tied back.
