Protect your family and pets with information on tick prevention
Summer is almost here, and all over the country pesky creatures called ticks are awakening from their long winter slumber. They have been active in some states for weeks now, and are just beginning to rise and shine in the Northeastern United States. Their awakening is not welcome by most people and pets.
All ticks carry the potential for causing illness and infection, however the deer tick, found primarily in the Northeastern United States is considered to be among the most dangerous. Noted for carrying the potentially crippling and sometimes fatal. Lyme Disease, it is imperative to protect both pets and people from their contact. Lyme Disease often manifests as a bullseye-shaped rash. Its symptoms include frequent fatigue and swelling and pain in joints and muscles. If left untreated, its effects can be fatal. If symptoms are recognized and treated in time, using potent doses of antibiotics, it is a manageable disease.
Contacting your local veterinarian is the best way to start protecting your entire family. Much of the tick to human contact occurs when ticks are carried inside of homes on family pets. Topical solutions and injections eliminate both ticks and fleas from pet fur, and enable them to enjoy a far more comfortable tick season. Beware, however, that even though these treatments protect your pets, the ticks can still get carried inside on them. Although the ticks are biting your pet, they are taking advantage of the free transportation!
People are advised to avoid tall grassy areas during tick season, and if they must enter such areas, to cover as much exposed flesh as possible. Ticks generally cling to socks and exposed leg areas, but will travel the entire surface of a pet or human's body. Long sleeved shirts and long pants are part of the suggested attire. Securing the pant leg opening with a rubber band will ensure that ticks won't crawl to other areas of the body via the loose pant leg opening.
Ticks live on the blood they suck from the human being or the animal they invade. Once crawling over a human body, they often lodge in areas with heavy blood flow, like the nape of the neck, armpits, groin, and behind the knees. In piercing the skin to suck the blood, the potential for transmitting disease occurs. However there are risks from ticks that are unrelated to Lyme disease. Some ticks are small enough to become imbedded in the skin, and stay there unnoticed for a lengthy period of time. The first symptoms to manifest may appear to be those related to a mole, cyst, or new growth. A person will rub, scratch, or pick at the peculiarity until it becomes irritated--and often times infected. It is typically then that they'll seek medical advice, only to discover that what they believed to be a topical or dermatological problem is in fact an embedded tick. It will have been living underneath the skin, drawing on the blood of the human being for its own existence.
Ticks have jaws that often become imbedded inside of the skin. Pulling out a tick with tweezers often isn't enough to ensure the entire jaw has been extracted. If the jaw remains, there is serious risk of infection.
What should you do if you find a tick on you or on someone else? Grasp the tick firmly with a pair of tweezers that have been dipped in alcohol. Pull gently, but firmly, until what appears to be an entire tick is removed. DO NOT DISPOSE OF THE TICK! This is important, as a doctor may be able to determine if the entire body has been removed from within the skin.
After removing the tick, and placing it in a plastic bag, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. Apply a topical antibiotic cream and cover with a band-aid. Seek medical attention immediately.
Some physicians balk at the idea of seeking medical attention if the tick is not a deer tick. Many, however, are happy to explain the perils of a tick wound that has gone untreated. If the entire tick is not removed, the risk of infection is high. Such pieces as jaws that remain behind may need to be surgically extracted by a physician. This is typically done in a doctor's office under local anesthetic. More severe cases are handled in hospital emergency rooms.
To deter ticks in your own back yard, spray grassy areas in the spring with pesticides. Cut the grass back as far away from the living area as possible. If you live in a marsh area, stay out of the marsh during the warmer months. There are even all-natural pesticides that are harmless to humans and pets, and yet keep the ticks away. These methods do less harm to grass and gardens.
Ticks are no reason to avoid outdoor activities during the summer months. However all of these precautions are necessary and should be taken by everyone. Small children, the elderly, and those with immune deficiency problems are at highest risk for developing complications related to ticks. Your local emergency room or your local pharmacist can provide you with pamphlets outlining information more specific to your exact region.
