Table of Contents
How are the ticks dangerous?
Ticks’ size is equal to a seed that’s why they can easily be overlooked until they bite. Ticks get themselves attached to the skin to suck the blood. They are mainly hidden in the birds’ feathers, and they can also reside on the animal’s skin. They are transferred to the human body if a person lives in the area where animals and birds are present or when your house is infested by birds or animals.
If that is the case, your pets are not even safe. Dogs and cats can also have ticks on their body, and when you play with them, ticks are transferred. Their bite can lead to serious health issued if the insect is not removed instantly. They cause the diseases like lymph disease and bacterial infection like Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Not all the ticks are dangerous, but some of their types like wood ticks, deer ticks, lone star ticks and hard ticks should be avoided. Professional medical advice is necessary if the infection is severe.
Sign and symptom of a tick bite
All the ticks may not cause any visible symptoms, but if you are bitten by a wood tick or deer tick, the symptoms are obvious. When these blood-sucking insects get into your skin, they transfer several diseases that can cause allergic reactions. When ticks approach your skin, they make their way toward warm parts such as armpits and hair where they bite you.
Tick-borne diseases symptoms are red spots near the affected area, rashes all over the body, a burning feeling, nausea, headache, fever, and muscle pain. Medical attention is required immediately to lessen the risk of an increase in seriousness.
Sicknesses initiated by tick bites can take a serious form if not treated on time. Tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Colorado tick fever; Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and ehrlichiosis. Common symptoms are aches, pains, chills, and fever but rashes can take different forms in case of different diseases.
If the tick bit has taken the form of Lyme disease, erythema migrans rash appears which are circular and they start to appear three days after the bite or even can take 30 days. If the fever is Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the person will get small spots on the skin unlike the rashes in Lyme disease. Lymph glands swell up if the disease is tularemia. Rashes are macular or maculopapular in the case of ehrlichiosis.
First aid to take care of the tick bite
Do not rush to the Doctor immediately. Take the first aid properly so that you don’t face any further infections and Common tick-removal methods are:
When to see emergency care
People with sensitive skin may get the instant reaction. If the symptoms like a severe headache, breathing problem, heart shiver or paralysis appear in less than 24 hours. Immediately seek the emergency care.
When to contact your doctor
Contact your doctor in the following situation:
- It is possible that you fail to pull the tick out. Sometimes it is burrowed so bad that it becomes difficult to remove it. Go to the doctor to remove it because ticks in the skin for a long time is dangerous. Salivary juices of the tick start getting poured in the blood if it gets too late.
- If there is a small red bump on the bitten area, this is normal. But if the rashes are bigger and appear like a bull eye, this is something serious. Don’t delay your meeting with doctor in this case
- The signs of flu, headache, and body ache may appear after thick bite. These are symptoms of severe illness.
- When the symptoms are unusual, and you feel that the body part is severely infected.
7 questions should be prepared for your appointment:
You should know the proper answers to the questions doctor may ask. Providing exact information to the doctor will make it easy for him to treat the condition appropriately. Questions may include:
- The time when the tick bit you and how many times you were the victim of the tick bite and describe the tick.
- The symptoms you are suffering from.
- When did the symptoms start to appear and how the illness developed?
- What all have you experienced to treat the infection at home?
- Did you travel in the wildness recently?
- Do you have other health problems or are you already using any medicines?
- When did you take the tetanus shot last time?
Treatment for regular tick bites
As it has been mentioned above, all the ticks are not dangerous. Regular tick bites do not lead to severe infections. Whether the tick bite is dangerous or not, you are always supposed to treat the area to remove all types of germs.
- After successfully removing the tick, apply petroleum jelly on the bitten part.
- Use first-aid antibiotic cream.
- Take the ice pack and rub gently on the affected area.
Try non-prescription medicine
There are several medicines you do not need a prescription for. These are the medicines commonly used when you have skin related problems. These solutions are anti-bacterial and like a natural treatment:
1. Hill country 100% Manuka Oil 10X Potency of Tea Tree Oil
About the product: Monuka oil is very effective treatment for skin complaints. The materials used in this oil are 100% natural and provide effectiveness ten times more than tea tree oil. Replace the chemical antiseptics with monuka oil if you want to prevent severe reactions. This is mostly used for the skin infected by the insects, and you can use it with your shampoo to treat the itchiness in your head.
Application tips: This is only for the external use. Do not use it in an excess amount. Only one or two drops are enough for any type of bacterial treatment.
2. AMK Kids’ Afterbite, Insect Bite Treatment
About the product: This is recommended if you kid is the victim of the tick bite. It relieves the skin irritation, itching, and swelling. It is applied as a lotion, and it moisturizes the skin as well. Natural ingredients have been used in its composition such as baking soda, Aloe Vera, and tea tree oil. It has a very sweet smell.
Application tips: it is only used on the external parts. It can be applied on the large areas.
Tick bite prevention
As in saying goes, “prevention is better than cure.” Instead of being care-free and get infected, prevent such insects. You can do it by using the following instructions:
- Use the insect repellents on your body. Make sure that you ae using lower-concentration repellents. Prefer using homemade and natural repellents. The repellents are not safe for the toddlers. Small kids frequently take their hands in their mouth and swallowing the repellents is dangerous.
- Keep most of your body covered when moving in the grassy areas. You can keep the most exposed parts covered by wearing a hat, gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants and socks. Of course, you cannot wear all this all the time. Use such items only when you are outside the house or near plants and woods.
- Keep your garden free from the animals that can carry ticks by removing unnecessary food sources for other animals. Spraying chemicals are also effective, but your pets may not be safe from these chemicals. Use nonchemical or environmentally safe methods
- Try not to go to the areas where there are numerous ticks that you cannot avoid.