Tricky Ticks
Lyme Disease Education and Support Groups of Maryland
PRESS RELEASE
TICKS, TICKS, TRICKY TICKS
June 10, 2008- Ticks. You've probably seen plenty of those pesky little critters with bad habits and nasty diseases. This year they are abundant and are waiting for the unsuspecting to pass by so they can latch on and grab a free blood meal, at your expense.
Big ticks, little ticks- they all deserve your attention. They have no problem attacking you while at home, work or at play and they don’t discriminate.
Ticks can be found attached to your body in just about any spot. When they are hungry, they are not picky little ticks. You may find them on your scalp, behind your ears or attached to your neck and they can be as small as the period at the end of this sentence.
The armpit, chest and tummy are popular hiding spots too. Behind the knee, which is often difficult to see, can hide a tiny tick that can fall off after feeding and may never be discovered.
A highly-respected Maryland physician reported finding an average of 7 ticks per day on her female ob/gyn patients and as she commented, "you know where I look."
Male patients have been known to remove ticks from their private parts with a hunting knife, a cold beer and an almost steady hand, which is not recommended. One little girl swallowed a live tick after it fell in her drink cup while she was sitting at a picnic table.
Finding a tick in a spot where it could be crushed if you sat down, can determine who your friends really are. If you know anyone who would rush to your home in the middle of the night to remove a tick from your backside, at the very least they deserve a night out on the town for their troubles.
Ticks have also been found between the toes, inside ears and even in people's eyes. Yes, in their eyes.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham recently reported the procedure for removing a live tick from a patient's conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the thin membrane that covers the surface of the inner eyelid and the white part of the eyeball.
To avoid these tricky ticky situations, be sure to do a daily tick check. If you find an attached tick, remove it slowly with tweezers and try to pull it out without crushing it and wipe the area with an antiseptic. If it can’t be removed easily, visit your health care professional for assistance.
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society recommends treating tick bites in endemic areas to prevent developing the acute or chronic stages of Lyme and other tick borne diseases.
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Contact Information:
Lucy Barnes, Director
Lyme Disease Education and Support Groups of Maryland
Email- AfterTheBite@gmail.com