Avoiding tick bites | OSF HealthCare

Avoiding ticks begins earlier than you allow the home and continues after you arrive again house. The sneaky arachnids prefer to journey up the physique and discover any crease or crevice to latch onto. Sadly, whereas it doesn’t occur that always, their chew can switch harmful illnesses.

Ticks reside on the bottom and migrate up a number earlier than biting. Sometimes, a tick will journey lengthy distances by using on a number, so you’ll be able to encounter ticks in your yard or strolling in any tall grass. Nonetheless, you usually tend to encounter ticks in fields or wooded areas with tall foliage.

Whereas Lyme disease is the commonest and well-known tick-borne illness within the Midwest, tick bites can also trigger:

When you journey, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site and study different tick-borne illnesses and the areas affected.

Earlier than venturing into your backyard or onto the mountain climbing path, it is very important hold security high of thoughts. Ashley Lisek, a sophisticated apply nurse with OSF Medical Group, discusses security suggestions and prevention.

Earlier than you head out

• Pre-treat your garments and kit with a repellent that incorporates 0.5% permethrin. Learn the producer’s directions, apply the repellent in a well-ventilated space and grasp your clothes as much as dry.
• Costume the half – pre-treated long-sleeve shirt, pants and closed sneakers – ideally boots.
• In your pores and skin, use a suggest Environmental Safety Company (EPA)-registered insect repellent. Make certain to learn the directions, particularly if making use of to a baby beneath the age of three.

If you end up exterior

• Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your belt.
• Stroll within the heart of mountain climbing trails, avoiding tall grass and vines.
• Cease and often examine your self. If you’re with somebody, use the buddy system to examine one another over.

After you get house

• Bathe inside a few hours from coming indoors. This may help cut back your threat for Lyme illness, wash away any ticks that haven’t latched on and provide you with an opportunity to examine your self over.
• Test your physique over within the mirror, ensure there may be nothing caught to you – as a result of typically you don’t even know they latch on.
• Test your gear – backpacks, tents, chairs, and many others.
• Test your pets.
• Wash your garments with scorching water and dry instantly to kill any ticks hiding in your clothes.

Signs of a chew

Frequent signs of a tick-related sickness embody fever and chills, aches and pains or a rash. A very powerful spots to examine for ticks embody: beneath the arms, in and across the ears, contained in the stomach button, again of the knees, in and across the hair, between the legs and across the waist.

“When you do see a tick on you, it is best to search pressing therapy in order that we are able to be sure to get it out. Numerous instances, folks will look on-line at tips on how to take away a tick after which put issues on it that aren’t truly speculated to be on it or gained’t assist take away a tick that’s on you. So, if in case you have a tick on you, otherwise you assume you’ve a tick chew or any type of bullseye rash begins to develop the place you assume you might have been bitten by a tick, I like to recommend you search pressing therapy by a medical skilled,” Ashley stated.

To seek out pressing care close to you, go to www.osfhealthcare.org. When you or a beloved one are experiencing a medical emergency attributable to a chew or sting – no matter being attributable to a mosquito, bee, wasp, tick or perhaps a spider – go to your nearest emergency room or name 9-1-1.

Final Up to date: February 11, 2022