Lyme disease and other tick illnesses are serious. Heart attack serious. Jim was bit by a Lone Star tick in Mt. Juliet. He was out of work for a month! He couldn't walk or use his hands. If untreated, it would have stopped his heart.
The Center for Disease Control says to do ONE THING and ONE THING ONLY if there's a tick on you.
And they want you to forget these Facebook home remedies being shared (like pouring peppermint oil on it, burning it, nail polish, or petroleum jelly).
They say you want to remove it ASAP, not wait for it to detach.
Here's the one thing to do.
This is 4 things (that are the one thing).
- Use tweezers.
- Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull straight up with steady pressure.
- Wash the bite area with alcohol or soap and water.
That's it. Don't do the crazy stuff. Same thing goes for pets. Protect them with collars or other vet approved methods. But if they get a tick, do they same thing.