How to remove a tick

Content

Method 2 of 4: Using thread
Method 3 of 4: Using a Credit Card
Method 4 of 4: Follow up
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

1 Find the head of the tick. If you look closely at the insect, you will see the head sucked to the skin and the body behind it.

2 Grab the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Use fine, sharp-edged tweezers to hold the tick firmly.

Do not try to grasp the insect with your fingers. You won't be able to grab it properly.
Squeeze the head of the tick with tweezers. Place the tweezers as close to the insect's mouth as possible.
Do not squeeze the body of the tick with tweezers. In this case, saliva or insect blood can enter your skin, increasing the risk of infection.

3 Hold the tick firmly with tweezers and gently pull it out. This will pull the insect's mouth away from your skin. Do not turn the tweezers, do not deflect them to the side or make sudden movements, otherwise fragments of the insect's mouth may remain in the skin. Following the insect, the skin can also stretch - this happens when you pull on a hair on the skin.

If there are still parts of the insect's mouth in the skin, try to remove them with tweezers. In case of failure, simply wait for the skin to heal on its own, checking from time to time for signs of infection.

4 Wash the bite site with warm water and soap. You can also treat it with rubbing alcohol or iodine. Thoroughly wash not only the bite site, but also your hands.

5 If you find it difficult to remove the tick yourself, see your doctor. Some mites are so small that they are not easy to remove with this simple method. In this case, the doctor will easily and painlessly remove the insect.

Method 2 of 4: Using thread

1 Cut off a small thread. It is better to use thin, unwaxed dental floss or silk floss. This method is suitable if you do not have tweezers on hand.
2 Make a loop around the tick's head. Try to keep the loop as close to the skin as possible.
3 Tighten the loop around the head. Use both hands to tighten the loop.
4 Pull the ends of the thread smoothly, without making any sudden movements. This will open the insect's mouth, freeing your skin.
5 Wash the bite site with warm water and soap. Clean both the bite site and your hands. You can also treat the bite with alcohol or iodine to prevent infection and contracting any tick-borne disease.

Method 3 of 4: Using a Credit Card

1 Bring the edge of the card to the head of the tick.
2 Press the body of the tick against the skin.
3 Run the card along the skin, bringing its edge under the tick's head. After several attempts, the insect should loosen its grip and fall off.

Method 4 of 4: Follow up

1 Dispose of the tick properly. Once removed from the skin, the mite may remain alive. To prevent the insect from harming you or others, immerse it in alcohol or flush it down the toilet.
2 You can save the tick for testing. If ticks in your area carry Lyme disease, you may want to save the insect that bites you for later testing. If so, place it in a plastic bag, seal it, and put it in the refrigerator. Then, follow the directions to find the tick lab and deliver the tick that bites you.
3 Examine the bite site for possible symptoms. Check the wound for several weeks after removing the tick for signs of Lyme disease or other tick-borne disease. In case of such signs, you need to see a doctor and tell him about when you found the tick, when you removed it, and what symptoms you developed later. See your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Fever and / or chills. These are common symptoms of tick borne diseases.
- Headache and muscle pain.
- Rash in the form of rounded red spots. This rash is a symptom of Lyme disease (or tick-borne borreliosis) carried by ticks.
- Any other skin rash. For example, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is also carried by ticks and is accompanied by a rash with irregular patches.

Tips

Removing the tick immediately after being bitten significantly reduces the risk of infection. Lyme disease usually does not develop if the tick is removed within the first 24 hours after being bitten.
After removing the tick, periodically inspect the bite site for swelling. If you find signs of inflammation, see your doctor.
If you have pets, check for ticks.
To prevent ticks from growing in the grass near your house, cut the lawn short in front of your house. Ticks prefer shaded areas.
If you find a tick on your skin, try to remove it as quickly as possible.

Warnings

Do not try to pull out the tick with your hands. The insect head can remain under the skin, creating a risk of infection.
Do not try to strangle the tick by lubricating the bite with petroleum jelly. As a result, the insect will only penetrate deeper into your skin.
Do not try to remove the tick by bringing a burning match to it - the insect will try to hide, burrowing deeper into your skin.