What’s Bugging You: Ticks

Ticks are most active during the warmer months, April to September, therefore it is important to be extra vigilant in taking preventative measures. 

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES:

1. REPELLENT:
   1. For Skin: Use 30% DEET for children (6 months and older) and adolescents. 
   2. For Clothing: Permethrin-containing products can be applied to clothing and other outdoor items. These are more effective than DEET products as a tick repellent. Do not apply Permethrin to skin. 
2. AVOIDANCE:
   1. Avoid wooded or brushy areas with tall grass and/or leaf litter.
   2. Walk in the center of trails.
   3. When hiking in tick-infested areas, wear long clothing and tuck ends into pants. 

FINDING TICKS:

1. Bathe or shower your child as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within 2 hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks. 
2. Parents should check their child for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in the hair. 
3. Examine equipment/gear and pets, as ticks can ride into the home that way.
4. Tumble dry clothing on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks present on clothing. If clothing needs to be washed first, it should be washed in hot water.

REMOVING TICKS:

A plain set of fine-tipped tweezers is all the equipment you need! 

1. Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. 
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick as you pull, as the mouth parts may remain in the skin. If this occurs, attempt to remove the parts with the tweezers. If unable, leave the area alone and allow the skin to heal. 
3. After the tick has been removed, thoroughly cleanse the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, or soap and water. 
4. Place tick in a sealed bag or container, submersed in alcohol, and bring it to the doctor for potential testing.  

*Avoid folklore removal remedies such as painting the tick with nail polish remover or petroleum jelly, or using a heat source to make the tick detach from the skin. 

FOLLOW-UP:

If your child develops a fever or a rash within several weeks of a tick removal, please call our office to schedule a follow-up appointment.