Community Corner
Tick Tip: How to Remove a Biting Tick
What do you do if you find a tick attached to your skin? Don't panic: Here are step-by-step removal instructions from the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health.
It's peak season for ticks on Martha's Vineyard, a time to check people and pets for ticks whenever they've been outside. The sooner you check, the better your chances of avoiding a bite.
But of you do find a tick attached to your skin, "there's no need to panic," according to the Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health, which maintains an informative website aimed at preventing tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, babesiosis, tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Tick-removal devices are available, but "a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers will remove a tick quite effectively," according to the MVBOH.org site, which provides step-by-step instructions:
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How to remove a tick
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
Avoid folklore remedies such as "painting" the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible--not waiting for it to detach.
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Source: Martha's Vineyard Boards of Health
Have you spotted ticks on yourself or pets this summer? Tell us in the comments.
For more about ticks and how to avoid tick-borne illnesses like Lyme and babesiosis, visit MVBOH.org. You may also be interested in these articles from our Tick Season Survival Guide:
- Tick Tip: How to Tick-Proof Your Yard
- Tick Tip: Preventing Lyme Disease After a Bite
- Tick-Borne Illness on Martha's Vineyard
- Tick Tip: How to Check Your Dog for Ticks
- Tick Tip: Dress Defensively
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