Crawlers with Attitude

Some are down right repulsed by bugs – present company included.  With the exception of the ladybug or even a caterpillar, I would rather not encounter them.  However, they are part of our ecosystem, our planet earth, and we must learn to coexist.  

The can sure make an impact and ruin a good time or a good picnic with their stingers and venom and germs, but I am throwing all that aside and exploring the topic a bit this week, and today I begin with a particular nasty specimen that can negatively affect your health - the tick.

Tick Types

Let me clarify that the tick is not an insect, but a parasite.  Further, they are classified as an arachnid with eight legs, rather than the six-legged insect.  They also do not have wings or antennae like insects, either.   But there are over 800 different species of them, and insect or arachnid, they can spell trouble and here are two bullies in the crowd:  

• Deer ticks,  The are tiny - the size of a pencil point and brown.  They are primarily found in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions.  All ticks can carry various diseases and cause potential harm; however, the deer tick is the one that carries Lyme Disease. 
• Dog ticks. They are larger than the deer tick.  They are the size of a pencil eraser and have a white collar.  Although they do not carry Lyme Disease, they can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a serious complication.

The Bite 

Ticks can crawl for up to hour before biting. But, if they do take hold and chomp down, here are the signs:  

• pain and swelling
• itching
• blistering
• redness which usually disappears within a week 

More serious symptoms can include these signs:

• fever and chills
• headache
• palpitations
• shortness of breath
• confusion
• vomiting
• red bulls-eye rash around the bite
• muscle weakness
• fatigue
• trouble walking
• loss of appetite

Should these develop within the month after the tick bite, see a doctor or emergency room, depending on the severity of the symptoms.

The Removal

Remove ticks as soon as possible to prevent disease.  Disease spread is much less likely if the tick is removed within 24 hours of the bite. Do not apply Vaseline, nail polish remover, matches, soap, or any of the other old wives tales to remove the tick.  This could irritate the tick causing it to release more germs.

Let’s hope you don’t have to, but here is how to remove one:

• Clean area around tick well with rubbing alcohol. Do not touch tick with hands,
• With tweezers, as close to skin as possible, gently pull up straight and out until the tick lets go. Do not jerk or twist to avoid breaking anything off which could spread germs.
• After removal, clean area thoroughly with rubbing alcohol.
• Dispose of tick in sealed container and get tested for lyme or other diseases.

Doc's Orders

Knowledge of the tick type can narrow the doctor's list of possible diagnosis.  Although the majority of tick bites do not result in symptoms or disease, positive blood tests for diseases such as Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and others do not show up for two to six weeks post tick bite.  Thus, a doctor could treat with preventive antibiotics immediatlay or take a wait and see approach.  A blood test six weeks after the bite is probably a good idea regardless of which approach you choose with your doctor.  

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25258702@N04/3352214620/">Mick E. Talbot</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>