Tick Bite

[Wood Pirate]

Just a reminder to check for ticks.

I was splitting wood all day yesterday at a family members house. Got up this morning and found a tick under my arm. Damn things are everywhere. Guess I should go to the doctor today to get it checked out.

 

[cncpro]

Make sure it doesn't start to look like a bullseye as seen here... http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=lyme&gbv=2

 

[chuck172]

Many times you won't get the bullseye. Some drs. will put you on what they call a prophylactic antibiotic right away just in case the tick was infected.

 

[mpilihp]

My wife had one and went to the doctors and was told that if its removed within 48 hrs of it initially attaching there isnt any thing to worry about, so check every time you come it from being in the woods. I had two attached this Saturday, nasty buggers.

 

[MishMouse]

It also depends on the type of tick.
If it was a deer tick I would go to the doctors just in case.
If it was a wood tick or dog tick and it wasn't attached that long just put some antiseptic on it and you should be alright.
Will itch like a bugger though.

Where I live you can't step out the door without either getting bit my a mosquito or having a tick hitch a ride, heck they even invite themselves in through the crack in the door. Then when it gets too hot for the mosquitoes the wasps, hornets, deer flies and other nasties come out to feed. What I found out is that the deet products work for the quick run to the house, but if you are out there over an hour better have a pint of blood sitting on standby cause you will need it. I live on a swamp and with the wet Spring those little vampires are out to get you. Without the deet they will carry you off.

 

[vgrund]

Those things are EVERYWHERE this year. My habit lately is to apply DEET before mowing the lawn, just in case. Besides, in the shaded parts of my lawn, mosquitoes bite even during the day. Yech.

 

[Henz]

I ahve been told 24hours

 

[mpilihp]

I agree you can never be too careful but our doctor said either wood or deer ticks if you get them off within 48 hr your ok. If I get one and get it off the same day im not sweating it but If I find one the next day or more after ive been in the woods theres really no way to tell when you got it...

No more farmers tan for me, I wear long sleeves, a bandana around my neck to keep them from dropping down my back, ive had more on my back and shoulders. Also a few up my pant leg. Nasty buggers!

 

[bartlett920]

I live in KS and get tick bites by the dozens every year hauling hay and in my 20+ years I have been doing hay I have had Lymes Disease once and it was last year. The bite location would never heal and started making me really sick some antibiotics and steroids I was fine. If I went to the drs everytime I had a tick bite I would be $100,000 in debt. Youll probably be fine.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

It takes 24 hrs to transmit Lyme Disease, and that's from deer ticks rather than dog/wood ticks. Of course- then there's Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever, etc.

Remove them properly- grab by the head with tweezers and pull straight out. Do't use flame (until they're removed) or vaseline or any of that stuff.

 

[barneshilary]

If you get the summer flu, good chance of lyme disease.

 

[cornbread]

Lyme Ticks

Prescribe doxycyclene.

If you can't find a doctor, go your vet and tell him your dog has Lyme.


Then take the antibiotic yourself for at least 30 days.

hosing yourself down with DEET.

Ticks don't like certain smells including cedar and catnip. This coming trip to town I am getting some catnip essential oil to wear. It works a lot better than deet. Just add it to some olive oil and wear it like insect repellent.

Bleach! I hadn't thought of that. I did try several things before finding that Iodine makes them let right go and try to run for their lives.

Smearing the little Sons O with petrolium jelly makes them let go. They can't breathe and start to suffocate

 

[jeffee]

Lyme Ticks

<....>

Bleach! I hadn't thought of that. I did try several things before finding that Iodine makes them let right go and try to run for their lives.

Smearing the little Sons O with petrolium jelly makes them let go. They can't breathe and start to suffocate

Don't do that! They may leave more bacteria in you before they come off! Just firmly use tweezers to take them out, being careful to get their head and mouthparts out.

 

[Tfin]

I find if I apply massive quantities of Grey Goose, they fall right off within minutes of attaching. :coolsmirk:

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Grey Goose, as in vodka? Not sure either what "massive quantities" means and I assume you mean as a "topical" not "internal" application.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Keep chgging it until you can't see the tick. Problem apparently solved

 

[Tfin]

Keep chgging it until you can't see the tick. Problem apparently solved

Ding, Ding, Ding.........and we have a winah! ;-)

Sorry.....it was just a joke folks.

 

[mtarbert]

There were 5 boys in our family. Running around the woods and fields all summer long. Tick inspection was a nightly detail. Mom Always had a bottle of Black Bear Gin. A little gin on a Q-tip rubbed on an inbedded ticks arse sure made them back out FAST.....worked everytime. I don't think the Gin ever got drank just used for tick removal.

 

[JPapiPE]

Lyme disease is very serious stuff. Last year a once famous Maine musician named Bill Chinook commited suicide, after living with the pain of Lyme disease for several years.

 

[Tfin]

Lyme disease is very serious stuff. Last year a once famous Maine musician named Bill Chinook commited suicide, after living with the pain of Lyme disease for several years.

Yup, I remember hearing about that.......sad.

 

[Ken45]

The problem with the deer ticks is that they are so small you almost can't see them.

We ran into a bunch of them on vacation a couple of years ago. My wife felt something crawling but couldn't see it. Finally spotted them, more like a pin POINT than a pin head. She ended up with several dozen of them burrowed in her. Itched like mad. The doctor didn't think the area (southern Ky) was a Lyme disease area (although the Internet indicated otherwise, IIRC) but the doctor did put her on antibiotics to be safe.

Dog ticks have been a major problem for the dogs here, our coon hound even had them in mid winter! (She's a "tick magnet".) But the flea and tick treatment (Advantage) has been very effective.

Ken

 

[cac4]

I have lyme disease.

I was out working on the edge of the yard (live in the woods) doing some work on memorial day.
worked all day...all sweaty and dirty...took a shower and went to bed. There was no tick on me at that time.

next morning, woke up, sat up on the side of the bed, looked down, and "bingo"...there's a deer tick embedded in my thigh.
no WAY that was there last night.

set about removing it, using a tick spoon...never can get the damn things out in one piece.


kept putting it off, and putting it off, but finally got around to calling the doc about a week later. I know that the protocol changes over time...they used to not do anything; then they started giving antibiotics prophylacticly.

Then I wound up with a fever for a couple of days. then it went away. then it came back. then it went away. called the doc...they said "if it comes back, call us. its too early to test for lyme; takes 6 weeks from the time of the bite to show positive, so there's no point in doing it yet." they started the ABs, anyway. Then the fever came back. So they did the test...and tested for a bunch of other things, as, obviously, I had "something".

test came back + for lyme.

So.

"remove tick within 48 hours, and you won't get lyme" not necessarily

"remove the whole thing, and you won't get lyme" impossible to do;

"takes 6 weeks to see a positive lyme antibody test" doesn't appear so


Now, I suppose it is possible that I was bitten previously by one of these "invisible deer ticks". I find that really hard to believe. But I suppose its possible. I've been bit a few times over the years, living where I do...I don't know how you could possibly miss one. they're small...but they're not that small.

oh, and fwiw, I had no rash...bullseye, or otherwise.

still on the doxy...I hope it works.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Good luck to you "cac4" with the cure. My wife and dog have both had lyme disease last year, so far this year they seem to be well, the dog had to go to the vet a week ago, so he took another blood sample to see if he was still clean. We haven't heard yet.

 

[cac4]

maybe its different with doggies, but w/ people, what they actually "test" for is an antibody to the parasite; that antibody will stay long after the parasite is gone. maybe years...so follow-up tests don't tell you anything, really. Or so they told me.

 

[cornbread]

Two ticks today.

Worked in the garden today (July 10). I picked some squish and cucumbers and pulled some weeds I was not out there but about one hour.

Came backed to the house wile the wife and I were having some coffee I felt something on the back of my led. Had the wife look to see what it was bingo a tick?

She tried to remove it but the head came off and as hard as she tried she could not get all the head so off the emergcy room at the local hospital. They were not busy so we were not there long about 45 minuets. There has not been any Lyme disease reported in Alabama.

Any way after 45 minuets and $75.00 co pay we came home we were watching the tour de France on TV and we found another one on my back the wife was able to get all of this one out.

So yawl watches out for those little buggers.

I do a lot of Hunting and Fly Fishing and have never get a tick but I will be on the look out for them form known on.