How Do You Prevent/Treat Tick Bites

[Stress_test]

Deer ticks suck. They DO burrow, but usually only their head. But then they become engorged with blood and the body swells and the area around the bite swells, which makes em look like they are burrowed halfway in.

Sheep ticks do the same thing, but are a different color and way bigger.

Don't try to remove em by pulling, twisting or scraping them off, the head will almost always separate and become infected.

Paint them and the area around em with clear fingernail polish and go see a doctor if they don't back out in a few minutes. But leave them attached.

When I was about 14 yrs old a cousin had 1 attach to his neck below the ear while he was sleeping. He pulled it off in the shower the next morning and it infected and swelled.
He died about a week later from fever but the swelling was so bad that they had to cut hi throat open and shove in a tube so he could breath.

If you get a shot glass and some Epsom salts, about 1 tsp with enough water to fill the glass 1/2 full and turn it upside down over the bite, it helps pull the infection. Then do it with clean H2O2 to kill any bacteria, germs or dead flesh.

 

[mad librettist]

I have pulled out hundreds of deer ticks, have not broken off a head since I first learned how,

Deer ticks suck. They DO burrow, but usually only their head

Burrowing is making a tunnel and going in. Ticks do not burrow. An example of burrowing is chiggers, not ticks.

Their mouth parts look like this:

 

[supermanlives]

i got lyme disease. when i was back east i started using RYNOSKIN and a permithrin spray you cover your clothes with then put on . no more tick problems

 

[onlychild]

I pulled one of those spider looking ones off my body last week, absolutely creeps you out first time it happens.

My skin is crawling from this thread, definitely should be a sticky. ok off to inspect my body for any bumps sheesh

 

[NPK]

I just happened to glance at this thread when it first appeared a few days ago, and I am so glad I did. I went to my new spot today to check on my plants and to put out some more seedlings. The spot has a lot going for it, including its relative inaccessibility: you have to go through several hundred feet of chest-high weeds and grass to get there. Uh-oh, you see where this is going?

I always cover my skin well because I'm concerned about sun exposure. Not interested in a date with skin cancer, so I wear long sleeves, a T shirt underneath, and a visor hat with sunscreen panels that come down the back and sides, kind of like an Arab's baseball cap might look. I also wear thick work pants, and waterproof boots. I guess my sun-safety measures have helped keep the ticks off me in years past, because I've never had any problems. Until today, that is.

After finishing up the grow work and getting back on the main path back to my car, I got to thinking about this thread. Decided it might be a good idea just to take a little peek under my T shirt. Damn if there wasn't a tick on my stomach! Then I started feeling around on my neck, and what do you know? Another two on my neck. I was like, HMMMMM.

Hurried back to my car and decided to take off my T shirt for a more thorough look. Didn't want to get any of these fuckers in my car. So, I took off my shirt and checked out my back in the window's reflection. I shit you not when I tell you, there were easily 12-15 ticks on my upper back. Now, I have been dealing with a slight rotator cuff issue, but let me tell you that VANISHED while I morphed into a contortionist to get those little blood-sucking bastards OFF OF ME!! The poster above wasn't kidding: it ain't easy to reach the bottom of your shoulder blade, but I was HIGHLY motivated. Got off all the ticks I could see but found a couple more on my clothing during the endless drive home.

Left my pack outside and went straight to the bathroom, where I got naked and made sure there were no more ticks on me. Inspected my clothing thoroughly and drowned six more in the toilet. And I found four in the seams of my sunhat!!

I know this is a long post, but I had to share my story here. I think I got all the ticks before they began to really latch on, but I did have to yank at some of them. My skin seems OK so far though. Believe me, I keep inspecting myself from multiple angles in the bathroom mirror (I live alone).

In conclusion, a really seriously disgusting, disturbing experience. I feel like I starred in a horror movie. I'm kind of afraid to go back to my site now, I am so creeped out. Maybe I'll get one of those Dyna suits, too, and will certainly be spraying my clothes with pyrethrin/permethrin. Now every little itch and tickle, I'm like GAHHH!

I agree: this thread should be stickied.

 

[driftersmokinjo]

NPK you reminded me of a funny story. Was at a local river fishing 1 day when this truck come hauling ass down the road and skids to a stop just before the river. 2 guys jump out and start stripping while running for the river. They was butt naked by the time they went into the river. I was laughing my ass off And 1 of them look over and seen me standing there almost in tears. He starts splain to me how they was picking black berries and got covered in seed ticks. Now the funny part. They are out in the river, "naked" with their clothes scattered about on the ground. 1 of then comes out of the water to get their cloths so they can wash them out. While he is picking up their clothes a game warden shows up. The guy standing there butt naked and the warden pulls right up to him and trying to keep a straight face he starts questioning the fella. This whole time his bro is naked standing waste deep in 58 degree water Warden allows them to wash out their clothes and get mostly dressed in the water. It was funny as hell watching them stumble around falling on each other trying to get pants on. After a few laughs the warden writes them a ticket for indecent exposure. Tells them how families with small children come to that spot and next time to at least keep on their underwear. Any way Just thought I would share that

 

[NPK]

Driftersmokinjo, great story. Those poor guys probably get all their produce at nice, safe grocery stores now. Makes me realize my experience could have been a hell of a lot worse!

Still a little squicked out about it, of course. If I hadn't seen this thread, god only knows how far into me those disgusting things might have shoved their heads. I wouldn't even have known all those ticks were on my back. I didn't even feel them on me.

 

[Stress_test]

Driftersmokinjo, great story. Those poor guys probably get all their produce at nice, safe grocery stores now. Makes me realize my experience could have been a hell of a lot worse!

Still a little squicked out about it, of course. If I hadn't seen this thread, god only knows how far into me those disgusting things might have shoved their heads. I wouldn't even have known all those ticks were on my back. I didn't even feel them on me.

Well my friend it just goes to show that this site is about more than growing weed.

No offense intended but are you a chick? Serious respect man or women, it takes a lot of gumption for anybody to pull off an OD grow either way.

I'm asking because of a couple things you mentioned in the story of your ordeal. To start with most guys I know couldn't possibly reach their shoulder blades without pulling muscles or dislocating something, while it is sometimes easier for women. My ex always reached behind to hook her bra, I think women do things everyday that just keeps them more flexible.
Also most bugs, ticks included are attracted to pretty smells. Women bath with soaps and pretty smelling shampoos and stuff and wear perfumes that guys don't.
A bandana will help keep em from dropping down your back, just flip your collar up and tie the bandana around yer neck, and using an un-perfumed soap to bath with before going out will help also.
Catching em and removing them if the get on you is key tho. I have an old hand mirror in my rig and of course I always have a machete too when I'm in the bush, it's pretty handy for scraping em off hard to reach spots.

Ticks are just another critter that lives in the woods like rabbits or deer. Don't let em discourage you from tending your grow. Wearing the right clothing is no different than using the right soil or nutrients.

 

[NPK]

Stress, no offense taken. I was wearing sunscreen, and now that you mention it, it may have some scent to it. Won't be wearing THAT brand out there again, never even crossed my mind it might attract anything nasty. As for my flexibility--it wasn't easy to reach the upper parts of my back, and it really hurt my left shoulder to try (it's been kinda jacked up lately as it is). But I would have happily dislocated it to get those things off. I was desperate. Kinda like suddenly having the strength to lift a vehicle off your kid or something.

By the way, thanks for your tips in this thread. Definitely informative.

 

[OD budzz]

skin so soft products works for me. no ticks. and its really bad around my area.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Lyme Disease Symptoms: Key Facts About This Mysterious Illness
Leo Galland, M.D.
Posted: 06/18/11 12:32 AM ET

Summer is peak season for transmission of Lyme disease.

The only known transporter of Lyme bacteria -- the deer tick -- goes through the most infectious stage of its life cycle in the summer.

But you don't need to be in contact with a deer to get a deer tick bite. Deer ticks can hitch a ride on small animals and land right in your backyard.

Here is a case study that highlights why Lyme disease is a mystery illness:

Anne had been diagnosed with three different autoimmune diseases, each by a top specialist:

Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disorder of the intestinal tract that causes abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Iritis, an inflammatory disorder of the eyes that causes eye pain and blurred vision.

Spondyloarthritis, an inflammatory disease that attacks the spine and other joints.

Two of the specialists wanted to treat her with immune suppressive drugs, a decision that would have been counterproductive, given the fact that her real diagnosis was Lyme disease -- an infection spread by a tick bite.

Anne had suffered a tick bite five years ago, about six months before the onset of her arthritis, and had been treated with an antibiotic, doxycycline, for three weeks. Subsequent testing of her blood for antibodies to the Lyme bacteria were negative on four separate occasions. Her doctors, therefore, discounted the idea that Lyme disease could be causing her chronic illness.

Two Key Points About Lyme Disease

Active Lyme disease can persist after antibiotic therapy.

Active Lyme disease may occur in the absence of positive blood antibody tests. This condition, called false negative serology, may be more likely in people who received antibiotics very early in the course of infection, as had Anne.

Further Reading: Lyme Disease -- Risk of Lyme Disease Expands

The Infectious Diseases Society of America has stated that three weeks of antibiotics will cure "over 95 percent" of people with Lyme disease. But many experts have challenged these treatment guidelines as being inaccurate. As I see it, even if the Infectious Diseases Society of America's guidelines are accurate, they are grossly inadequate: a failure rate approaching five percent for a curable disease is unacceptable.

New Cases of Lyme Disease

Let's check the math: At present there are about 30,000 new cases of Lyme disease reported to state health departments each year. Everyone acknowledges that under-reporting is the rule, so that there are undoubtedly many more cases of Lyme disease acquired in the U.S. every year. The annual incidence is probably more than 100,000 new cases each year.

Lyme disease has been with us for at least 30 years. So, even if the failure rate of the IDSA guidelines is only 1 to 4 percent, as claimed, there are tens of thousands of Americans living with incompletely treated Lyme disease. Anne was one of these and, like so many others, saw many competent physicians for her complaints without the correct diagnosis being made.

Anne Sought Evaluation for a Different Condition

She came to see me not for evaluating Lyme disease, but to find a nutritional therapy for Crohn's disease because she did not want to take the medication her gastroenterologist was recommending. Although her digestive complaints were controlled by a special diet and her iritis could be prevented by supplements of curcumin, an herbal extract, the cycles of joint and muscle pain and fatigue that she had experienced for the past five years continued.

I ordered some detailed blood tests to evaluate the possibility that she may still be suffering from active Lyme disease. The evidence was inconclusive, but strong enough that she and I agreed that further antibiotic therapy was warranted.

Like many other patients with Lyme disease who start antibiotic therapy, Anne originally felt worse with antibiotics. Fortunately, this reaction, called a "Herxheimer response," only lasted for about a week. Within a month, it had become clear that antibiotics, not immune suppressant drugs, were the right therapy for her. Although not totally well, Anne no longer has any evidence of Crohn's disease, iritis or spondyloarthritis. What appeared to be autoimmune diseases were the deceptive manifestations of a chronic infection of Lyme disease.

To Watch: Under Our Skin: Lyme Disease Film

Essential Facts About Lyme Disease

It is an infection with a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by the bite of a deer tick.

The tick is so small -- sometimes as small as a poppy seed -- that you may not be aware of a tick bite.

Symptoms of Lyme disease may occur within days or may not occur for many weeks after infection.

Lyme disease may involve any part of your body: skin, joints, muscles, the nervous system, the heart or the intestinal tract.

Laboratory tests for Lyme disease are imperfect and can be misleading.

Prompt treatment of early infection improves the likelihood of cure, but persistent chronic infection may occur and can take many forms. It is important to note though, that some people with chronic symptoms confuse them for chronic Lyme disease. It's ultimately important to explore all possible explanations for these sorts of symptoms.

The possibility of Lyme disease should be carefully considered in anyone with unexplained fatigue, fever or muscle pain, in people with an acute unexplained change in emotional or cognitive function, and in everyone given a diagnosis of autoimmune or degenerative neurological disease.

Now I'd like to hear from you:

Do you have unexplained symptoms? Has your doctor considered Lyme Disease?

Have you had any treatments? Did they help?

Please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.

Best Health,
Leo Galland, M.D.

Important: Share the Health with your friends and family by forwarding this article to them, and sharing on Facebook.

Leo Galland, M.D. is a board-certified internist, author and internationally recognized leader in integrated medicine. Dr. Galland is the founder of Pill Advised, a web application for learning about medications, supplements and food. Sign up for FREE to discover how your medications and vitamins interact. Watch his videos on YouTube and join the Pill Advised Facebook page.

References and Further Reading

Dr. Joseph Burrascano's Diagnostic Criteria on the California Lyme Disease Association Website

N Engl J Med. 1988 Dec 1;319(22):1441-6. "Seronegative Lyme disease. Dissociation of specific T- and B-lymphocyte responses to Borrelia burgdorferi." Dattwyler RJ, Volkman DJ, Luft BJ, Halperin JJ, Thomas J, Golightly MG.

Infection. 1989 Nov-Dec;17(6):355-9. "Survival of Borrelia burgdorferi in antibiotically treated patients with Lyme borreliosis." Preac-Mursic V, Weber K, Pfister HW, Wilske B, Gross B, Baumann A, Prokop J.

Am J Clin Pathol. 1996 May;105(5):647-54. "Polymerase chain reaction detection of Lyme disease: correlation with clinical manifestations and serologic responses." Mouritsen CL, Wittwer CT, Litwin CM, Yang L, Weis JJ, Martins TB, Jaskowski TD, Hill HR.

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2004;2(1 Suppl):S1-13. "Evidence-based guidelines for the management of Lyme disease." Cameron D, Gaito A, Harris N, Bach G, Bellovin S, Bock K, Bock S, Burrascano J, Dickey C, Horowitz R, Phillips S, Meer-Scherrer L, Raxlen B, Sherr V, Smith H, Smith P, Stricker R; ILADS Working Group.

Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis. 2010; 2010: 876450. "Proof That Chronic Lyme Disease Exists."
Daniel J. Cameron.

"Chronic Lyme An Evidence-Based Review", Steven Phillips, MD. ILADS 2008

This information is provided for general educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute (i) medical advice or counseling, (ii) the practice of medicine or the provision of health care diagnosis or treatment, (iii) or the creation of a physician-patient relationship. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your doctor promptly.