Never do this: what actions after a tick bite can add to the damage

Spring is a time of awakening not only for nature, plants, and beneficial insects, but also for ticks. These small arthropods can carry dangerous diseases such as borreliosis and encephalitis.

A tick bite may seem like a minor nuisance, but the wrong actions after it can lead to serious consequences. That's why OBOZ.UA has collected information about the most common mistakes people make after an insect bite.

Do not smear the tick with oil, alcohol, or saliva

There are many life hacks that supposedly allow you to get rid of a tick easily and quickly. Supposedly, oil, saliva, or other liquids are supposed to block the insect's air supply, so it will let go of your skin. But all these methods have no scientific basis and do not work.

Since you need to get rid of the tick as soon as possible, it is better to buy a special tick remover at a veterinary pharmacy and carefully twist the tick out with its proboscis. If there is something left at the bite site, you can remove it with a sterile needle, like a splinter.

Do not squeeze the tick

Once you have carefully removed the tick, do not squeeze or throw it away. Instead, carefully put it in a jar or box and take it to the lab. They will check if the tick is a carrier of dangerous diseases.

Do not self-medicate

After you have removed the tick from your skin, all you need to do is treat the wound with an antiseptic and wash your hands well with soap and water. In no case should you go to the pharmacy and prescribe antibiotics yourself.

Consult your doctor to have him or her order tests and prescribe the necessary medications, if necessary.

Don't do everything at once

You don't need to run to an infectious disease specialist the same day you find a tick on you. It is better to make an appointment with a doctor when you already have the results from the laboratory where you gave the insect.

Also, do not take tests on your own and immediately after a bite. Even if you have been infected, antibodies will begin to appear in the blood only after 2-3 weeks.

Do not ignore dangerous symptoms

Symptoms of dangerous diseases may not appear immediately, but even after a month, so do not ignore your poor health and go to the doctor right away.

If redness appears at the bite site, or if you have a fever, nausea, headache, lethargy, etc. within 30 days of the bite, you should immediately seek medical attention and be sure to tell a doctor that you were bitten by a tick.

How to protect yourself?

• To avoid tick bites, wear closed clothing when you go outdoors;
• Try not to go into the grass while walking;
• Use repellents that repel ticks;
• Get a tick-borne encephalitis vaccine;
• Regularly check yourself and your loved ones for ticks.

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