Tick removal is easy – you might need to have some help
since ticks have a way of attaching in inconvenient places. The key goal is to
remove the entire live tick gently without it regurgitating potential pathogens
(Lyme and worse).
I like the technique in this excellent video but rather than
use tweezers I prefer tick pliers. I use these in the office with little danger
of beheading the tick.
There is often redness at the site of the bite and there
might be a black center that lingers for days. If the tick was removed in one
piece, the black area does not contain tick fragment but is dead tissue from
the tick saliva. An enlarging red area, hardness or pain merits an office visit
as does a bull’s eye rash. By the way, the bull’s eye rash can be anywhere, not
just the site of the bite.
Above all – no bathroom surgery! There is no reason to
engage sharp implements.
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