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Tick bite: what to do

Remove the tick safely, clean the bite, and know the signs that mean you should see a doctor.

19 items · 5 sections · health, first-aid, outdoors

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Remove the tick (4)

  • Use fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can
  • Pull upward with steady, even pressure: do not twist or jerk
  • Do not use petroleum jelly, nail polish, heat or a match
  • If part of the mouth stays in the skin, leave it and let the skin heal

Clean up (4)

  • Wash the bite and your hands with soap and water
  • Clean the bite with rubbing alcohol or an iodine scrub
  • Put the tick in a sealed bag or a container with alcohol, and note the dateIt helps a doctor if you become ill.
  • Take a photo of the bite site

Next few weeks (3)

  • Check the bite and your body once a day for up to 30 days
  • Watch for a red expanding rash, a bullseye rash, fever, chills, aches or fatigue
  • Write down the date, place and where on your body it was

See a doctor (4)

  • See a doctor if you cannot remove the whole tick
  • See a doctor if a rash, fever or joint pain appears in the weeks after
  • Tell the doctor about the tick bite and the area where it happened
  • Go to emergency care for a swollen face, trouble breathing or severe illness

Next time (4)

  • Wear long trousers tucked into socks and light-coloured clothes on trails
  • Use a repellent with DEET or picaridin on skin and permethrin on clothes
  • Check your whole body, hair, behind knees and ears after every walk
  • Check pets and gear, and shower within two hours of coming indoors

Written from www.cdc.gov

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