Maryland’s Tick Problem: Prevent Lyme

By Michael Freedman, MD

Evolve Medical Clinic

. https://evolvemedicalclinics.com/

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Maryland’s Tick Problem: Prevent Lyme

School will be out soon and everyone is excited about summer – especially Maryland ticks. In and around Annapolis, the increase in outdoor activities in parks, woods and particularly our own gardens and yard, means ticks and Lyme disease.

What Kind Of Ticks Are “Bad”

The kind of ticks that carry Lyme and other diseases are tiny. People have been known to come in for a mole removal only to find the mole had legs and tried to run away. More importantly, finding a “nymph” or “larva” size tick requires a serious, involved and focused check for both adults and kids whenever they come in doors from high risk areas.

How To Remove a Tick

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.

• Pull upward with steady, even pressure.

• Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

• After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

• Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

• Pull upward without twisting.

• Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Other ways to remove ticks, such as using a hot match head or painting the tick with nail polish, gasoline, or other materials, are not advised. Such treatments can cause the tick to release more fluids back into the bite.

Repel Ticks With DEET or Permethrin

• Use repellents that contain 20-30% DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) on exposed skin and clothing.

• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing.

• Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin.

• Remains protective through several washings.

• Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.

• Find and remove ticks from your body.

• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within 2 hours).

• Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror. Check under the arms, in ears, belly button, behind knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.

• Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in ears, belly button, behind knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.

• Examine gear and pets.

• Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.

• Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.

What To Do After a Tick Bite

Lyme disease is not usually transmitted within the first 48-72 hours of tick attachment. The likelihood of transmission is increased if the tick is engorged and/or has been attached for at least 72 hours.

If you have had a tick bite, get seen right away. It’s easier to take two tabs of Doxycycline than to deal with Lyme disease later.