Everyone seems to have their own trick for removing ticks. Contrary to popular belief, keeping a match on the parasite, smothering it with petroleum jelly, or poisoning it with nail polish is not useful, rather it causes the tick to penetrate deeper into the skin. The correct solution is also the simplest: remove it from the skin. Follow these simple steps and soon the mint will be a distant memory.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Use a Pair of Tweezers
Step 1. Locate the tick's head
If you look closely you will see the mouth attached to the skin and the rest of the body immediately behind.
Step 2. Grab the tick with forceps closest to the skin
Use fine, sharp (not round) tweezers so you can grab the parasite firmly.
- Don't use your fingers. You can't keep a firm grip on the tick.
- Make sure you get the tick by the head. The tips of the tweezers should be very close to the mouth.
- Don't take it for the body. This causes the parasite to salivate or regurgitate within the skin and increase the chances of disease transmission.
Step 3. Pull firmly and firmly outward
When pulling, do not twist and jerk or move the tweezers back and forth, otherwise part of the head will remain in the skin. Usually, when the tick comes off, a little of your skin comes off as well, just like when you tear a hair.
If part of the mouth remains in the skin, try to remove it with tweezers. If it is too deep, wait for the bite to heal and check the area periodically for symptoms of infection
Step 4. Wash with warm soapy water
You can also use denatured alcohol or iodine. Wash both the bite area and your hands thoroughly.
Step 5. Go to the doctor if you are unable to remove the tick
In some cases the parasites are so small that this technique doesn't work. A doctor will know what to do.
Method 2 of 4: Using the dental floss
Step 1. Cut a piece of wire
Choose a thin, unwaxed one, or get another type of string. This is an alternative method if you don't have tweezers available.
Step 2. Wrap the thread around the tick's head
The thread should be as close to the skin as possible.
Step 3. Tighten it, using both hands to tie a tight knot
Step 4. Lift both ends of the thread in a slow, steady motion
The tick's mouth will detach from the skin.
Step 5. Wash in warm soapy water
Clean both the bite area and your hands. Use denatured alcohol or iodine to prevent infections the parasite can transmit.
Method 3 of 4: Using a Credit Card
Step 1. Cut out some sort of V in the paper
Use a pair of scissors to make a small V along the edge of the paper. It should be large enough to catch the tick, but not too wide for the insect to slip.
Step 2. Slip a credit card near the tick's head
Step 3. Hold the insect's body firmly
Step 4. Slip the credit card between your skin and the tick's head
After a few attempts, the tick should come out entirely.
Method 4 of 4: Next
Step 1. Dispose of the mint properly
It's probably still alive when you take it off. Dip it in denatured alcohol or throw it down the toilet (flush it) to prevent it from attacking loved ones.
Step 2. Consider storing the mint for analysis
If you know that ticks in your area transmit Lyme disease, place your tick in a plastic freeze bag, seal it, and put it in the freezer. Find a lab that can perform the tests and follow the instructions they will give you to deliver the sample to them.
Step 3. Check the bite area
Over the next few weeks, check for symptoms of Lyme disease or another infection. You will need to be able to tell the doctor when you saw the tick, when you removed it, and what symptoms you are suffering from. If you have any of the following signs, see your doctor right away:
- Fever and / or chills. It is a common symptom of tick-borne infection.
- Headache and muscle aches.
- Appearance of "target" erythema. This indicates both Lyme disease and other diseases associated with tick bite.
- Another type of skin rash. In Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, also caused by ticks, the erythema does not look like a target.
wikiHow Video: How to Remove a Tick
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Advice
- Mow your garden grass and keep it low to avoid the presence of ticks that love shady areas.
- See if the bite area swells after removing the parasite. If you notice any signs of inflammation, see a doctor.
- Check for ticks on your pets.
- Removing a tick immediately after being bitten greatly reduces the chance of disease transmission. You are unlikely to get Lyme disease if the tick has been attached to your skin within 24 hours.
Warnings
- Do not try to remove the tick with your own hands. You could leave behind a piece of the head that could transmit an infection.
- Do not try to suffocate the tick with petroleum jelly, the parasite will attach itself even more strongly to the skin.
- Do not try to remove the tick with the flame of a match, it will hide even deeper in the skin.
