Summer is a time for outdoor activities, but it also comes with an abundance of bugs. One bug that should be on your radar is a deer tick. These little buggers are hard to see and can transmit Lyme disease before you even realize it. Lyme disease is a serious illness, and black-legged deer ticks are often hard to remove. AFC Urgent Care Malden is here to help protect you and your family from deer tick bites and lyme disease.
How Long Does a Deer Tick Need to Be on You to Transmit Lyme Disease?
Deer ticks have unique mouthparts that act like "fish hooks," which helps them latch onto the skin and stay in place for so long. According to the CDC, it can take up to 36-48 hours for a deer tick to pass on Lyme disease into your bloodstream. Spirochetes, the bacteria that carry Lyme disease, are present in the tick's saliva glands and can be transmitted through their saliva into your bloodstream.
I Found a Deer Tick on Me. How Do I Remove It?
If you are planning on hiking this summer, it's important to be prepared in case a deer tick latches onto you or someone in your group. The CDC recommends using fine-tipped tweezers to remove the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. Avoid twisting or jerking the tick, as this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, use the tweezers to remove the remaining parts. After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
The next step would be to assess the tick bite wound and get evaluated by a medical professional. If you can save the tick in a ziplock bag, you can bring it in to confirm if it was a deer tick that bit you. AFC Urgent Care Malden can help remove the tick for you. Our staff is trained to remove ticks and can evaluate you for any tick-borne related illnesses. If you have a deer tick on you and are unsure of how long it's been there, we can perform lab work to check for Lyme disease. The sooner you receive treatment, the better it will be in the long run.
AFC Urgent Care Malden Can Help Remove Ticks for You
At AFC Urgent Care Malden, we hate deer ticks just as much as you do! Why remove it yourself when you can come in any day of the week to get it removed by one of our medical providers? Our staff is trained to remove ticks safely, and we can help evaluate you for any tick-borne related illnesses. Lyme disease can be treated with a course of antibiotics. The sooner you receive treatment, the better your chances of a full recovery.
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