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Ticks


MrCJDL

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I'd just recently been thinking that this year hasn't been too bad for Ticks (round here anyway), I've only had to remove 1 or 2 from the dog, the 'Frontline' seems to have worked in repelling the rest....

 

Well, I'd been out caching late yesterday afternoon, in the woods... ferns were high, but hadn't seen any, though I did flick one off of the dog on the way home. Then, I was in the shower today and felt a wee lump... it was a tick, embedded in my a**-cheek ! :yikes::o

 

First time I've ever had one of these little b*****rds get me... I feel violated ! It there such a thing as 'Frontline' for humans, or do i need to wear a wet-suit next time ? :laughing:

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Everything feeds on something so why not live and let live. LOL ;)

 

LOL, no, kill it, kill it, kill it till it's dead ! They are horrible wee creatures. I mean, it's just teeth and a stomach... what IS it's purpose ? why do these things exist ? Ugh.

 

I used to have some Tropical Strength 'Jungle Formula' repellant, but it seems you can only get the 50% DEET stuff here these days.

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A friend jokes that I am a "tick magnet". It doesn't matter what time of year or what the terrain, they find me. I got bit about 6 weeks ago and the dang tick bite on my torso still itches and hurts!

I say SHOW NO MERCY. One time I reached for an ammo can in the woods and I swear there were 400 little ticks covering my arm. Freaked me out!!!

 

My chances of contracting Lyme Disease increased 2,000% once I started geocaching!

 

I think t4e has the right idea. Where I can buy one of those suits? I want one for Christmas!

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Loads down my way at mo as local park has deer, and the beacons are full of sheep

 

Got to the vets and ask for a tick puller/twister, it looks like a small mini plastic crowbar with a hook at the end, the hook end goes under the ticks body where its buried in your skin, you then gently twist the little bleeder and out they pop, safest way of doing it as chemical means in humans doesnt always work and leaves part of the tick in, which aint good!

 

Here's a link to the product, they are only a couple of quid and can be carried with you. I get around 6-8 a year in me because i spend a lot of time in the hills and they like my vintage blood, never had any nasty after effects from them so i wouldn't worry overley, and its very easy to use.

 

http://www.otom.com/how-to-remove-a-tick

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After many years of camping experience I have tried most methods for getting the little buggers out. I know not everyone carries the stuff but without a doubt the best method is petrol soaked cotton wool. Give 'em a soak for a few minutes and a gentle pull with tweezers does the job.

I like to burn them out. Or if i'm at home i use the wife's clear finger nail polish. Paint over there backs and they can't breath so they pull out on there own. Then i burn them.

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After many years of camping experience I have tried most methods for getting the little buggers out. I know not everyone carries the stuff but without a doubt the best method is petrol soaked cotton wool. Give 'em a soak for a few minutes and a gentle pull with tweezers does the job.

 

Trouble with doing this kind of thing is it makes them more likely to regurgitate, and you really don't want the contents of a tick's stomach in your bloodstream.

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After many years of camping experience I have tried most methods for getting the little buggers out. I know not everyone carries the stuff but without a doubt the best method is petrol soaked cotton wool. Give 'em a soak for a few minutes and a gentle pull with tweezers does the job.

Trouble with doing this kind of thing is it makes them more likely to regurgitate, and you really don't want the contents of a tick's stomach in your bloodstream.

+1. I remove about a dozen ticks from my body per year; if you get them within 24 hours then a simple pull with regular tweezers is usually sufficient.

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Personally I've never had one actually get me, although a couple of years ago when I was stalking a deer (with a camera) my trouser legs had about half a dozen on when I came out of the bracken. The dog gets a few and I've always used tweezers on her but I've just ordered a couple of those O'Tom jobs as we're off to Scotland shortly and she always picks up a tick or two when we go there.

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This need to be considered if you are biten by a tick. Sourced from the BBC.

 

 

What is Lyme disease?

 

The infection was first described in 1975 after several cases occurred a town called Old Lyme, in Connecticut, USA. However, the link between tick bites and a condition affecting the nervous system has been recognised for much longer and was known as tick-borne meningoencephalitis

 

Ticks can be tiny, just one or two mm across and their saliva contains painkillers, anticoagulants and immune suppressants. Many bites, therefore, go unnoticed. If undetected, the tick will typically remain in place for several days, and will drop off when finished feeding.

 

The bacteria are carried in the tick's gut, and can take some time to move into its mouthparts and then into your body. The risk of infection increases the longer the tick is left in position. Normally, the risk is minimal if the tick is removed or falls off within 24 hours. However, it’s possible to be infected at any time after a bite. A partially fed tick, for example, can pass on the infection relatively quickly. In any given tick population, it’s thought that about 15 to 20 per cent carry Lyme disease. Only a small percentage of tick bites will lead to the condition.

 

Once the person is infected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, there are several possible outcomes. The infection may be cleared without problems (some people have no symptoms but develop antibodies showing they have been exposed to the bacteria).

 

Alternatively the bacteria may spread through the body causing symptoms of infection, or in some cases it may trigger an immune response that leads to symptoms such as arthritis.

 

Lyme disease symptoms

 

The initial tick bite may be so small that more than half of those bitten don’t even notice or remember a bite. Between two days and four weeks later, an expanding, circular red rash appears in about 40 per cent of cases, usually at or near the site of the bite.

 

Sometimes several of these rashes appear, which usually don’t itch or burn. Tiredness, headache, joint pains and flu-like symptoms may also occur. If no treatment is given, the rash will typically persist for two to three weeks. After that about one in three people have no further problems.

 

If no treatment is received, more than 60 per cent of those with Lyme disease will go on to stage 2 of the condition within six months. A wide range of symptoms have been recorded including:

 

Fatigue

Symptoms similar to meningitis

Peripheral nervous symptoms such as numbness or tingling sensations

In some cases psychiatric symptoms

 

These episodes may go on for many years. There may also be problems with nerve palsies (for example, weakness of the nerves to the muscles of the face), inflammation or damage of the nerves, abnormal heart rhythms, and severe malaise.

 

For some people Lyme disease then persists in a chronic form or Stage 3, where arthritis, neurological damage and fibromyalgia (severe aching and weak muscles) continue to affect them long term.

 

The symptoms of Lyme disease are partly determined by the particular strain of B burgdorferi bacteria. The strain most often seen in Europe tends to lead to neurological or nerve disease.

Top

Lyme disease causes and risk factors

 

It's not just visitors to rural North America who might be exposed to these tick-borne infections. Infected ticks can be found across the UK, and anyone who enjoys exploring our woodlands and uplands may also be at risk. People like gamekeepers, farmers and hunters are also at risk.

 

Cases have occurred in urban parks and gardens too. The common factor is the presence of deep vegetation and a supply of mammals and birds for ticks to feed on.

 

Avoid being bitten. Ticks in the nymph stage are tiny and spider-like (about the size of a poppy seed), so are difficult to see. The larger ticks you might see on your pets are the adult stage of the same species. They can attach to any part of the body, especially to moist or hairy areas in the groin, armpits, and scalp.

 

When camping or walking in places where the ticks may be, the following measures are helpful:

 

Wear long sleeves and trousers

Tuck trousers into socks

Wear light-coloured clothing so ticks are easier to see

Try not to sit on the ground in areas of vegetation

Consider using insect repellents

Keep to pathways and, where possible, avoid areas of overgrown vegetation

Check for ticks regularly during the day and especially before going to bed

Remove any ticks found attached to the skin straight away

 

Remove ticks using a purpose made tool, or fine forceps, which hold the tick close to the skin without squeezing its body. Apply antiseptic cream after removal. Don't use your fingers, or apply heat, petroleum jelly or any other creams or chemicals.

 

Lyme disease treatment and recovery

 

If you think you may have been bitten, tell your doctor, and mention where you've been walking, especially if you know that there are ticks in that area. When infection with Lyme disease is suspected, blood tests can be used to help support the diagnosis, but don’t identify all cases.

 

Once Lyme disease has been diagnosed, treatment is with antibiotics which need to be at high dose and may need to be given as a prolonged course , sometimes even intravenously for maximum effect. Some complications of Lyme disease need specific treatments – for example if a person develops a slow heart rhythm, they may need a pacemaker

 

In most cases symptoms settle (even if treatment isn’t given, symptoms may eventually get better) but Lyme disease can cause more serious long term problems. Given the small amount of research in this area, medical opinion is divided as to the cause and best treatment for long term symptoms.

 

Disclaimer

 

All content within BBC Health is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of the BBC Health website. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. See our Links Policy for more information. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.

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