Tick Removal On Outdoor Trails

Removing an embedded tick on an outdoor trail can be difficult, as you will likely lack all of the tools necessary to safely and completely detach it. At the very least you need a pair of tweezers, or another similar tool. While it is important to remove ticks as soon as possible, it is far more important to remove the entire insect. As long as its tiny head is intact, a tick can regrow the bulk of its body and its legs if they are damaged or dismembered.

Instructions

1. Stop at an open location along the trail with plenty of sunlight. If it is dark or cloudy, get a flashlight or other light source. Check the tick's host and other animals or people on the trail for more ticks. Look over clothing, backpacks and hats as well. Ticks can be as small as a period on a sentence, so use glasses or even a magnifying glass if necessary.

2. Ask the affected person to sit or lay down in a well-lit location. If there is a tick on a dog or other animal, have a companion hold it still as you remove the parasite. Brush away hair and pull clothes from the attached tick. Try to clear at least a few inches around the tick bite for maximum visibility.

3. Dump rubbing alcohol on a pad or cotton ball and squeeze it over the bite. If you don't have access to it, you can also spread an oil, lotion or Vaseline over the bug. Continue to apply the liquid or ointment, at least two or three times, over the next 30 minutes. Watch the tick to see if it releases its grip to escape suffocation.

4. Place your thumbs on both sides of the tick pointing at one another. They should be several inches apart, about 1 to 1.5 inches from the tick. Press down against the skin with each thumb and slowly push towards the tick. Get as close as you can without actually touching the tick, then repeat the process several times until the head of the tick is exposed.

5. Grab the head of the tick with tweezers or a similar tool. Hold it firmly but don't squeeze it more than necessary; you don't need to apply much pressure to remove the tick. Pressing too hard can break the tick and hinder your attempt to completely remove it. Pull the tick slowly from the host. Reposition the tweezers if they slip or move from the tick's head.

6. Seal the tick in a container or release it far away from the group. Carefully check the tick bite for signs of inflammation, swelling or remnants. Pull any remaining pieces of the bug from the skin. Consult a doctor if the bite becomes red or more inflamed after the tick is removed.

Tags: from tick, head tick, important remove, similar tool, tick bite