How to Avoid a Tick Encounter
Avoid Tick Infested Areas
Ticks are typically found outdoors, in wooded, tall grassy, or leaf litter areas, where they attach to their host and begin to feed. They do not live in trees. Ticks need high humidity to survive which is why they are usually found in tall grass and vegetation and not in home lawns.
Wear Long Clothing
Wearing light-coloured long sleeves and pants could help you to spot and identify tick more easily. Also tucking pants into socks and your shirt into pant can prevent a tick from crawling inside your clothing and attaching to your skin.
Insect Repellent
Use any insect repellent with DEET, permethrin or picaridin when you think there will be a high chance of exposure to ticks. There are mixed opinions on the many different kinds of herbal and natural repellents available. Although some may very well be effective, the science seems to show that the harsh chemical stuff really does work best.
Tick Check
Do a thorough tick check immediately after being outdoors, both of yourself and your children and pets. Don't expect to feel them on you because ticks secrete novel pain killers called kininases in their saliva which help them go unnoticed. Ticks prefer the warmer protected areas of the body where they are easy to be missed. So make sure to check in the ears, groin area and between the toes of dogs. In addition to checking yourself, pets and family carefully, be sure to thoroughly inspect your clothes, packs and gear to prevent a tick hitching a ride into your home.
Clean Your Clothes and Gear.
If you have been in areas populated by ticks, the first thing you should do when you get home is put all your clothing and gear directly into the dryer to tumble dry on high heat for at least 15 minutes. Yes dry your clothes even before they go into the wash. The reason is that ticks require moisture to survive and will rapidly desiccate and die in dry conditions. Studies have shown half of ticks survived hot water washes when the water temperature was less than 54˚C / 130˚F. They can even survive being submerged underwater for up to 2-3 days.
Take a Shower
A hot shower soon after being outdoors is recommended. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and is also an excellent opportunity to thoroughly inspect yourself again to make sure there is no tick attaching to your skin.
How to Deal with a Tick Bite
Remove the Tick
This is the most important step as improper removal will greatly increase the chance of infection. It is important to use special tools or sharp tweezers to remove the tick. DO NOT squeeze the tick. Grab the tick as close to the skin, around the head if possible and gently pull upwards. Do not injure or agitate the tick, until after it is removed from the skin. Squeezing the tick, or trying to burn or use chemicals to agitate it, can cause the tick to regurgitate its meal back into your skin, greatly increasing the chance of infection. After removing the tick, be sure to wash your hands and disinfect any tools you used.
Capture the Tick for Identification & Testing
It is important to capture the tick so that it can be identified and sent off to be tested for Lyme disease and the various other tick-borne diseases. Have the Capture Pod or other sealable container ready as you remove the tick, as they will immediately try to escape following detachment from the host. If not captured, young ticks will go on to bite many more unsuspecting hosts, and adult females will almost immediately drop to the ground, find cover and begin to lay several thousand eggs.
Disinfect the Bite
Thoroughly disinfect the bite area using water and soap, or alcohol or other suitable disinfectant. If the tick was removed safely, and the bite properly cleaned, the chances of transferring an infection are greatly reduced.
See your Doctor
Even if you do not have symptoms, it is a good idea to make an appointment to see your doctor. There are various tests your doctor can do on you, but it is a good idea to bring the captured tick for identification and testing for Lyme disease and other pathogens. Your doctor may test you immediately, and then again after 4-6 weeks, as Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases may not be initially detectable and it can take several weeks for the body to produce sufficient antibodies to show up on tests.
Watch for symptoms
There are a number of both minor and serious infections and diseases spread by ticks, and many of the symptoms are similar. Many symptoms take time to develop so watch carefully over the days and weeks following a tick bite.
Symptoms can include a red spot, bullseye-like ring or rash near the bite, a full body rash, neck stiffness, headaches, nausea, weakness, muscle or joint pain, fever, chills or swollen lymph nodes.
If more serious symptoms such as fever or severe swelling develop, seek immediate medical attention.