It's not just deer and dogs that need to worry about ticks. Humans are targets, too. Ticks are those pesky little bloodsucking organisms that can infect people and animals with diseases. Lyme disease is the most widely known. While commonly found on animals, these parasites also breed in tall grass or wooded locations. If you find a tick on your own body, you'll want to remove it carefully.
Step 1
Inspect adults and children thoroughly for ticks upon returning from outside, particularly if you were in the woods or a grassy area. Look beneath the arms, in the areas inside and surrounding the ears and hair, behind the knees, in the naval and in between the legs.
Step 2
Examine all articles of clothing and family pets. Remove any ticks immediately. You are less likely to contract Lyme disease if the tick is extracted during the first two days after receiving the bite.
Step 3
Don latex gloves or cover your hands with a napkin, paper towel or facial tissue.
Step 4
Grab the tick's head or mouth as near to the skin as you can with pointed or fine-tipped tweezers. Never take hold of its body. Doing so could release additional infectious fluids into your body.
Step 5
Pull the tick straight out slowly and firmly. Apply pressure for several minutes to force the tick to back out from under the skin.
Step 6
Soak the tick in rubbing alcohol before placing it in a plastic bag or jar. Date the container and put it in the freezer. If you become sick, the type of tick can be determined.
Step 7
Clean your hands and any other parts of your body that came in contact with the tick with warm water and soap. Apply antibiotic ointment to the area as needed.
Step 8
Consult your doctor if you notice signs of a "bull's-eye" (or any kind of rash) surrounding the bite. Generally, it will appear within one month of the tick bite.
Tips and Warnings
- Drying clothing on high heat will successfully get rid of any ticks. Use rubbing alcohol to disinfect the tweezers. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease.
- Never twist or turn the tweezers when removing a tick. Such a motion could cause the head or other parts of the tick to remain in your body. Never use petroleum jelly, nail polish, alcohol or a hot match to remove a tick.
Things You'll Need
- Latex gloves
- Tweezers
- Rubbing alcohol
- Plastic bag or jar
- Antibiotic ointment
