Ticks can be very dangerous. If you or your family get bit by certain potentially deadly types of ticks, if not removed and treated by a doctor immediately, the bite can be fatal.

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It's so important to know what to do when you find a tick that has bitten you. Here is a great tick bite removal hack that I saw on Facebook from Devonay Potter.

If you find a tick on yourself or your pets, take a q-tip and dip it in liquid soap such as Dawn dish soap, and start making small circles around the tick. The soap fills the ticks and they can’t breathe so they let go of the skin and come right off!
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How do you draw out a tick bite?

Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
When it comes to ticks, the most important thing you can do is simply check yourself and your family for tick bites.

Horrifying story of a tick bite found too late

<span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">Ticks are no joke. One of the worst chapters in my family's history was when my aunt lost her 4 yr old daughter to a tick bite. It was horrible. Horrible...</span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">She'd been in the hospital with a blazing fever for 4 days that they could never break before blood tests determined it was Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever. Unfortunately, by that point, it was already too late. It'd had at least a week or more to circulate throughout her body, and she died on the 6th day she was in the hospital.</span> <span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">Please check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks frequently. Especially your pets because they can oftentimes transmit them to humans without us even knowing. Seriously, these are foul little creatures that can do some real damage if you allow them.</span>

-Britton Thompson

Always check your scalp for ticks

A similar thing happened to my husband's uncle. He went on vacation to the Smoky mountains and right after he got back he started having flu-like symptoms. A week later, he died in the hospital. After running tests, the doctors figured out he had been bitten by a tick. Although they could never find the bite, they said that it was probably on his scalp. The scalp is a place where ticks are often missed.
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How to take care of a tick bite

. According to the Mayo Clinic,

  • Remove the tick promptly and carefully. Use fine-tipped forceps or tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Gently pull out the tick using a slow and steady upward motion. Avoid twisting or squeezing the tick. Do not handle the tick with bare hands. Do not use petroleum jelly, fingernail polish, or a hot match to remove a tick.
  • Secure the tick and take a picture. A picture of the tick can help you and your health care provider identify what type it is and whether you are at risk of transmitted disease. You can trap the tick in a piece of tape for disposal in the garbage. Your provider may want to see the tick or a photo if you develop new symptoms.
  • Wash your hands and the bite site. Use warm water and soap, rubbing alcohol, or an iodine scrub.

When you should seek medical attention for a tick bite

The Mayo Clinic went on to say,

  • You aren't able to completely remove the tick
  • The rash gets bigger
  • You develop flu-like signs and symptoms
  • You think the bite site is infected
  • You think you were bitten by a deer tick

Most tick bites are painless and cause only minor signs and symptoms, But other times, they need medical attention ASAP. According to the Mayo Clinic,

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Call 911 or your local emergency number if you develop:
  • A severe headache.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Paralysis.
  • Heart palpitations.

How to prevent getting a tick bite

 

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