Now that the world has opened up, Americans are headed outdoors. People are flocking to the national parks in record numbers. And many of them are getting bit by ticks.
The only thing worse than the sight of these blood-sucking, parasitic critters is the diseases they carry.
From Lyme disease to Rocky Mountain spotted fever to a red-meat allergy, these nasty creatures can cause serious health problems.
To make matters worse, once a tick latches on, it’s hard to get it off. Many people pull them off with their fingers or tweezers. But the little devil’s head will more often than not pop off and remain embedded in your flesh.
This can leave you with an infection at best and susceptible to one of those tick-borne illnesses at worst.
And very small ticks are particularly hard to pull out.
So what’s the best way to get a tick off? It’s really quite simple. All you need is a Q-Tip.
That’s right! The easiest and safest way to remove a tick doesn’t require any specialized tools. And it can remove ticks of all sizes in one piece.
Here’s How You Do It
Just grab a cotton swab and wet the tip. You need it to be wet enough to glide smoothly over your skin.
Then take the wet cotton swab and apply light pressure to one side of the tick’s body. You want to start pushing the tick in a circle around the point where its mouth is anchored to your skin, just as if the tick were a hand on a clock.
Make sure you’re doing this gently. You don’t want to push down on the tick or pull on the tick. Just spin it around the bite.
Eventually, the tick will let go of its grip on you. The head and body should be fully intact. Once the tick is out, wash the area around the bite with rubbing alcohol, iodine, or soap and water.
If you remove the tick right away, you should be fine. But if it’s engorged or has been attached for more than 24 hours, then look for signs of infection (swelling, redness, fever).
If you’re concerned, drop the tick in some alcohol to kill it. Take the tick with you to the doctor so they can tell what kind of tick it is and what type of infection to look for. Treating infections quickly can often stave off long-term illnesses.
Quick Tip: There’s an easy way to keep ticks from getting on you in the first place. Simply put a couple of ounces of purified or distilled water in a small spray bottle. Then add 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. (If you need more, simply double the recipe.) Before you spray it, shake the bottle. Spray it on any exposed skin, your belt line, pant cuffs, and shoes.
And anytime you’ve been walking in tall grass or under trees, always check yourself for ticks when you get back in your house. That way you can remove the tick quickly and avoid infection.