Tick Removal

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Feb 3, 2006
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So I carry a pair of tweezers in my pack for just tick removal. I have no other use for them and was wondering if I could get rid of them if you guys can clue me in on a different way to get them out of ya.
 
There really isn't another way to reliably remove a tick and its mouthparts. All the stories about putting X on the tick, where X is some household substance, are all medically found to be counterproductive.

If you carry a SAK, you might want to consider one with integral tweezers?
 
Just make sure that you lift the tick out by its shoulder, instead of squeezing it . . .

I've tried burning them out, vaseline, etc . . . Tweezers are the only thing that has ever worked.
 
The Field Tweezers that www.agrussell.com sells are really great ! Pull the tick gently. It is said now that the deer tick must be feeding on you for 36 hours to transmit Lyme disease. But other bugs can transmit other diseases. The dog tick can transmit Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever even on the east coast !
 
Hey Guys...

I usually don't mess with ticks with my kids..If I find them on myself ofr the Mrs, I'll do the removal myself.. On my kids I usually run them up to the clinic and have it taken out by the doc..

Docs got a special pair of tweezers for pulling those little buggers out....

Speaking of tweezers.. I picked up a pair of Tweezerman tweezers

http://www.tweezerman.com/index.cfm?page=productdetail&prod=122

They'll pluck the eyebrows off a Gnat, they are that pointy and accurate....

Awesome tweezers for splinters and any real fine detail work. I swear by them and they have an Excellent warranty. Replaced dropped tweezers for half the price ($4.00) sharpen for free!

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Here people use their nails as tweezers. With some skill it does work leaving no visible trace, but since the tick is compressed in the process, I'm not sure it is a good idea in the long run.

This thing is a one use tool but it works amazingly well even for persons without any-skills:

pgcverts_presentation_small.jpg

http://www.otom.com/images/pgcverts_presentation.jpg

http://www.ticktwister.com/index.html

Working in youth camps in the past, I've used that thing to remove litterally dozens of ticks.

They advertise that:
a) The tick's body is not compressed while detaching it from the skin.
b) The twisting motion of the Tick Twister® removes the tick while keeping the tick's mouth-parts intact.

From what I've seen, the tick actually doesn't seem compressed, so a) would be true.
As for b), in 95% cases head is gone leaving nothing from a naked eye (no black dot), and if they have advertise it, I guess they have some medical backing, so it seems that be is true too.

Anyway, if you often run into ticks, for price, it's a good investment.
 
From a medical standpoint, just get the tick off your body. Fingers, tweezers, whatever. And don't worry so much about technique - it doesn't really matter if you leave a bit of the "head" in place or "compress" the body. There is solid medical support for the idea that getting the tick off the skin within 24 hours is the most important factor in preventing tick-borne illnesses.
 
asfried2 said:
From a medical standpoint, just get the tick off your body. Fingers, tweezers, whatever. And don't worry so much about technique - it doesn't really matter if you leave a bit of the "head" in place or "compress" the body. There is solid medical support for the idea that getting the tick off the skin within 24 hours is the most important factor in preventing tick-borne illnesses.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advise.

I've been using tweezers and alcohol ASAP when I see them.
 
They are easy to remove with the tip of a properly sharpened knife. Just use the very tip to gently dig down under the little offender that has dug under your skin. Pop him out, and then carry on with whatever you are doing. I have also used the burning end of a cigarette to coax them out, but I find a sharp knife tip is easier. If you choose, dab a bit of Scotch, or alcohol wipe in the tiny little hole the critter made on your skin.
 
This is the one I use. I find it very effective and doesn't seem to stress the tick so he doesn't push all his gut contents into the wound which is a problem. It is easy to use and very small so it is easy to pack.

proticktool.jpg


Tick remover


asfried2, I see you say you are a Pediatrician. I have read that there is very little evidence that a tick can transfer any disease in less than 24 hours but does that include if you are abusing it by squeezing the body instead of removing it properly? Is it because it can’t break the skin barrier in less than 24 hours so no matter what it spills into you it won’t get inside the body? I'm asking you because "you’re the doc".

Thanks,
KR
 
Here is the information and yet a different technique (2nd one more practical) recommended by the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. I have not used this personally, actually never found one embedded on me - only picked off while they were still crawling.

Nice tweezers Normark. You can also find them labelled as jewler's tweezers. We use them for sorting tiny invertebrates from sediments.

Source Information: Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation
http://www.canlyme.com/tickremoval.html

Tick Removal
The key is to not cause the tick stress. Old methods such as hot match, hot oil, suffocation or fingertips will cause regurgitation of the stomach contents into the victims blood which is what you don't want.

INTRADERMAL BLISTER TECHNIQUE
This is where an injection of Xylocaine with Adrenaline is administered intradermally underneathe the tick. It will generate a large blister at the site. Ticks will release their grip due to the lack of blood to feed on, and because of "positive pressure" from the temporary swelling. The tick will back out on its own in a short time.

If this method is not reasonable for you, here's one more.You will need the assistance of another person if you are the victim. *this technique can also be used on animals.

STRAW AND KNOT METHOD
Use an ordinary drinking straw and place it at a 45 degree angle over the tick (the straw is simply being used as a guide to direct the knot). Next, take a length of thread and tie a loose knot at the top or midsection of the straw. Now, slide your knot down the straw to the site. Position the knot underneath the tick's belly, so that the knot will encircle the embedded part only. Slowly tighten the knot to close snugly around the jaws. Now, remove the straw and pull the thread in a steady upward motion. This will cause the tick to detach, without regurgitation.

Once the tick is out, via any of these methods, you may notice a small amount of blood at the bite site. It's either from the victim but more commonly the tick. In either case, it's best to at least wash the site well with an anti-bacterial soap. Follow up, when available, with an antiseptic.

Considering the seriousness of the disease the wise physician may decide to administer antibiotics before waiting for symptoms. Lyme has been detected in cerebral spinal fluid within hours of the bite. Once symptoms are present the disease has disseminated into the system to some unknown extent.

(Edited immediately after posting for clarification)
 
kr1 said:
asfried2, I see you say you are a Pediatrician. I have read that there is very little evidence that a tick can transfer any disease in less than 24 hours but does that include if you are abusing it by squeezing the body instead of removing it properly? Is it because it can’t break the skin barrier in less than 24 hours so no matter what it spills into you it won’t get inside the body? I'm asking you because "you’re the doc".

Thanks,
KR
Click to expand...

Thanks for asking KR1,

Interestingly, I just got back from the Wilderness Medical Society conference a couple of weeks ago where this issue was discussed in depth. Here is the recommended tick removal method per the wilderness medical community:

From "Wilderness Medicine" by Paul Auerbach (the standard text for Wilderness Medicine health professionals):

"A quality pair of fine-tipped forceps is necessary to safely remove embedded nymphal and adult ticks, by gently grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible and gradually retracting outward in a straight line. Special tick-removal devices available from outdoor and camping supply companies provide some advantage over simple forceps but generally cost more. The area should then be cleaned with a local antiseptic. Other methods for tick removal, such as applying petroleum jelly to the tick, or using a lighted match or cigarette, isopropyl alcohol, or fingernail polish, do not ease removal of the tick. These and other "remedies" most likely increase expression of tick saliva and foregut contents, thus increasing the chance of disease transmission."
 
I get hundreds of ticks a year, deer ticks and wood ticks, I just pull them out with my fingers or scratch them off. Chris
 
For me and my wife, the best form of tweezer is a good quality, small, curved hemostat like those used by medical professionals. Besides tick removal etc., these are very useful for removing hooks from the mouths of small fish you catch. Hemostats can usually be found for sale at flea markets and gun shows. Since I can't be sure of their origin, I give the ones I buy a short soak in Clorox bleach just to be sure they don't carry any diseases. I think most or all of those you can buy these days are new and unused, though. Instruments like hemostats etc. used to be American made, they were sterilized in autoclaves after every use, and then they were kept sterile and reused. Today they all seem to be made in Pakistan (!) and thrown away after one use. That's why I slosh mine in pure Clorox and rinse them off, just in case somebody got hold of some from the trash somewhere. Surprisingly, all those Pakistani hemostats I've used were of relatively good quality, and they are cheap, too.
 
asfried2 said:
Thanks for asking KR1,

Interestingly, I just got back from the Wilderness Medical Society conference a couple of weeks ago where this issue was discussed in depth. Here is the recommended tick removal method per the wilderness medical community:

From "Wilderness Medicine" by Paul Auerbach (the standard text for Wilderness Medicine health professionals):

"A quality pair of fine-tipped forceps is necessary to safely remove embedded nymphal and adult ticks, by gently grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible and gradually retracting outward in a straight line. Special tick-removal devices available from outdoor and camping supply companies provide some advantage over simple forceps but generally cost more. The area should then be cleaned with a local antiseptic. Other methods for tick removal, such as applying petroleum jelly to the tick, or using a lighted match or cigarette, isopropyl alcohol, or fingernail polish, do not ease removal of the tick. These and other "remedies" most likely increase expression of tick saliva and foregut contents, thus increasing the chance of disease transmission."
Click to expand...

Thanks,

That was my understanding. Auerbach is indeed an excellent reference. My family doctor was/is a member of WMS and I have been a WEMT going on 5 years now from SOLO (renewal again in October) so he is keen to clue me in on their latest research.

kdg. Interesting techniques. I have never heard of either but I might give the straw technique a try next time and keep the xylocane with epi in mind. I suspect that the xylocane technique should never be used on fingers or toes if practiced on a human based upon the reaction to the fine capilaries in the fingers or toes? It sounds as though the epi is actually whats doing the real work in this procedure causing the vasoconstriction and cuting off the blood supply to the tick. Someone (asfried2 or kdg or others) correct me if I'm wrong.

KR
 
Hmm. I think the xylocaine method seems a bit cumbersome when you can just use a forceps. As far as anything with epi goes, you really should avoid it in an extremity. One would hate to lose a bit of a finger over a tick!
 
WOW, you guys sure do get technical over ticks. I do everything I can to prevent them but if I get one I just pull it off, same with a leech. I never put any thought into the proper way. Chris
 
runningboar said:
WOW, you guys sure do get technical over ticks. I do everything I can to prevent them but if I get one I just pull it off, same with a leech. I never put any thought into the proper way. Chris
Click to expand...

Probably just fine. Again, the medical evidence is that getting the thing off within 24 hours is by far the most important factor in preventing a tick borne illness.
 
Speaking of ticks, the herb Teasel cures lime's disease when used in conjunction with antibiotics. Clinically proven on dogs, works for us too.
 
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