Tick Bite

[marc_leclerc]

While I was at the bluffs cleaning a route I suddenly felt like I was getting sunburned just above my collar bone and looked down to see a tick burrowing itself into my skin... not realizing what it was I grabbed it and ripped it out. I looked up tick bites and apparently the head gan get stuck in the skin and cause problems. Right now the bite just looks like a red circle with a black circle in the center... I hope the head isnt stuck in my shoulder. Do you guys know of a way to tell whether or not the head is still in the skin?

[sexual_chocolate]

if you see a black spot, it would stand to reason that it might be the head. it'll eventually pus out.

[montanapup]

get a doc to write you a script for doxcy in the next day - as prophylaxis for any tick borne disease - those bugs suck - literally! and can make you sick.........

[pindude]

While I was at the bluffs cleaning a route I suddenly felt like I was getting sunburned just above my collar bone and looked down to see a tick burrowing itself into my skin... not realizing what it was I grabbed it and ripped it out. I looked up tick bites and apparently the head gan get stuck in the skin and cause problems. Right now the bite just looks like a red circle with a black circle in the center... I hope the head isnt stuck in my shoulder. Do you guys know of a way to tell whether or not the head is still in the skin?

 

Marc: While it's possible you have a tick part in there, it's highly unlikely it's a "head." If anything, it might be a mouth part. Over my lifetime, and mostly in eastern WA, I've pulled several hundreds of ticks off animals, others, and myself, and have *never* left a head nor a mouth part--not even once.

 

There are many myths and a lot of paranoia surrounding tick bites, but certainly Lyme's Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are possibilites, as rare as they are. If you think something was left in, don't let it fester as just suggested: take some tweezers or a pin and get the shit out, then clean it up well. If you're unsure--or if you have obvious skin irritation continuing hours after you do your clean-up job--head to a doc, but know that many doc's and PA's or NP's don't have much experience with ticks. Probabilities are, that if you had some tick part left in there that *might* cause cellulitis (which is an infection of the tissues that makes them red and inflamed, and is not lance-able like a localized infection is with the presence of pus), you may need an antibiotic.

 

No time to be squeamish: If in doubt, clean it out!

 

Here's an older cc.com discussion. For future, note how I described there how to pull off a tick.

 

--Steve

 

 

[PaulB]

I had a tick burrow into my back 5 or 6 years ago after thrashing about in the bush during a late season ski tour. I went to the clinic to get the leftovers I couldn't dig out removed and the doc said that it is actually pretty rare for anyone to get Lyme disease or anything else from them. He just gave it a good dousing with disinfectant and sent me on my way.

[dmuja]

 

To remove a tick, a good way is to light a match, blow it out, then touch it to the tick while match is still very hot. The tick freaks out and releases immediately. Ive done this several times and it works well.

[Bug]

The circle around it is disturbing. If it is still there, see a doctor.

I have had a tick head in the back of my scalp for about thirty years now. It is a small calcified cyst at this point.

It is a pain in the butt when barbers bump it with their clippers but other than that, and the occassional odd comments it makes, there aren't any problems with it.

[marc_leclerc]

My red circle around the bite has shrunk and is barely visible now but it is still quite sensitive around the bite area, I think I'll see a doctor at the walk in clininc and see if he has any concerns.

[StevenSeagal]

The circle around it is disturbing. If it is still there, see a doctor.

I have had a tick head in the back of my scalp for about thirty years now. It is a small calcified cyst at this point.

It is a pain in the butt when barbers bump it with their clippers but other than that, and the occassional odd comments it makes, there aren't any problems with it.

 

It talks? OMG!

[Bug]

It posts here more than I do.

[TREETOAD]

a parasitic twin!!

[kevino]

Well his name is Bug...

[ivan]

surely a man of many medical problems...

[scott_harpell]

pull out foreign matter and clean it really well then keep an eye on it. if you are worried, get a prophylactic scrip.

[ScottP]

To remove a tick, a good way is to light a match, blow it out, then touch it to the tick while match is still very hot. The tick freaks out and releases immediately. Ive done this several times and it works well.

 

My understanding is that the heat causes them to regurgitate the contents of their stomach before they vacate.

[ivan]

i'd gladly trade the gorge's infestation of poison oak for one of ticks

[tvashtarkatena]

Just be glad we don't have chiggers out here, m'fuck'rs

[Ducknut]

i'd gladly trade the gorge's infestation of poison oak for one of ticks

 

You can get them both there. I suspect I got plenty of both today while schwacking my way through the rough.

[pindude]

God you guys are funny and entertaining. Glad this is in spray.

 

He just gave it a good dousing with disinfectant and sent me on my way.

A disinfectant like Lysol? I know you meant antiseptic.

 

To remove a tick, a good way is to light a match, blow it out, then touch it to the tick while match is still very hot. The tick freaks out and releases immediately. Ive done this several times and it works well.

There are obviously better methods of removal than the misguided older use of heat with a match, cigarette, or even hot needle.

 

The circle around it is disturbing. If it is still there, see a doctor.

I have had a tick head in the back of my scalp for about thirty years now. It is a small calcified cyst at this point.

Bug, I definitely agree with your advice to Marc, but call BS on your cause of the "calcified cyst." Is this a self-diagnosis? Likely it's just a cyst. At least it makes for a good story.

 

My understanding is that the heat causes them to regurgitate the contents of their stomach before they vacate.

No myth; is true.

 

My red circle around the bite has shrunk and is barely visible now but it is still quite sensitive around the bite area, I think I'll see a doctor at the walk in clininc and see if he has any concerns.

Good luck, looking forward to hearing the outcome.

[olyclimber]

i don't know why we even bother with doctors anymore, now that we have the internets. i've heard that if you eat enough pickles you can kill the tick with a salt overdose.

[G-spotter]

Somebody in Hope got Lyme disease from a tick bite so definitely see a doc. Lyme disease sucks.

[Bug]

The circle around it is disturbing. If it is still there, see a doctor.

I have had a tick head in the back of my scalp for about thirty years now. It is a small calcified cyst at this point.

Bug, I definitely agree with your advice to Marc, but call BS on your cause of the "calcified cyst." Is this a self-diagnosis? Likely it's just a cyst. At least it makes for a good story.

Here is what I do know.

When I was a boyscout in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, I found a gorged tick on the back of my head.

My father tried to remove it using the match technique.

When he pulled it off, it had no head.

For the rest of thte trip, I was repeatedly asked what the tick had to say about this, or that, or whatever.

The lump grew over the course of a few days but hten receaded to a small pimple size lump. Over the years, it has continued to grow and is now 3 feet in diameter and has the shape of Ronald Reagan's head. Unfortunately, it keeps muttering, "I don't recall, I don't recall".

How dare you question my honesty!

[archenemy]

Isn't Ronald dead?

[pindude]

The circle around it is disturbing. If it is still there, see a doctor.

I have had a tick head in the back of my scalp for about thirty years now. It is a small calcified cyst at this point.

Bug, I definitely agree with your advice to Marc, but call BS on your cause of the "calcified cyst." Is this a self-diagnosis? Likely it's just a cyst. At least it makes for a good story.

Here is what I do know.

When I was a boyscout in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, I found a gorged tick on the back of my head.

My father tried to remove it using the match technique.

When he pulled it off, it had no head.

For the rest of thte trip, I was repeatedly asked what the tick had to say about this, or that, or whatever.

The lump grew over the course of a few days but hten receaded to a small pimple size lump. Over the years, it has continued to grow and is now 3 feet in diameter and has the shape of Ronald Reagan's head. Unfortunately, it keeps muttering, "I don't recall, I don't recall".

How dare you question my honesty!

 

Sorry, dude. I now feel really bad for you. OK if I refer to you as Tick from now on?

 

I have no idea if foreign bodies in our epidermis can cause cysts, but really, I wanted to hear the story behind it all. Didn't mean to question you're identity--at least ticks are great climbers. I don't think I could live with myself though if I was sportin a talking Ronnie Reagan head. One of the reasons lots of folks use matches or heat I think is they're too squeamish to put their fingertips on the little buggers and squeeze them just hard enough to pull them off. I've unfortunately lived with them most of my life and it's such automatic behavior now when I see them (usually on our dogs) I immediately get down to business and deliberately and carefully do the duty. But if I came across a giant-sized, talking Ronnie head I think I'd scream and run the other direction.

[Jens]

My brother has Lyme disease. The tick that gave it to him was in the canyon between Ellensburg and Yakima.