Summer is approaching and you know what that means? Bugs…and lots of them!

Nothing makes our skin crawl more than the thought of bugs flying around or even “latching” onto us. One bug we have in mind are deer ticks because those little buggers are hard to see and not only do they latch onto you, but they can pass on Lyme disease before you even know it. 

Lyme disease is no joke and these black legged deer ticks are often hard to remove. Just like you, AFC Urgent Care Malden hates deer ticks, too. Here is how to protect yourself and prevent tick bites.

How Long Does A Deer Tick Have To Be On You For You To Get Lyme Disease?

Unlike other bugs, ticks have odd shaped mouths. People often refer to their mouths as “fish hooks”, which helps them dig into the skin. It’s no wonder why they stay in place for so long. Once they latch onto you, they’re literally “hooked”.

The CDC suggests that it can take up to 36-48 hours for a deer tick to pass along Lyme disease into your bloodstream. The way it passes Lyme through the bloodstream is from the contents in its digestive tract. There are spirochetes…aka bacteria carrying the Lyme that can be transmissible through their saliva glands. 

I Found A Deer Tick On Me. How Do I Remove It?

If hikes are on the agenda for this summer, then you need to be ready if a deer tick latches onto you or a loved one. The CDC suggests this technique when extracting a tick and do’s and don’ts:

• Use fine-tipped tweezers and connect with 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, remove the remaining parts with tweezers if possible.
• After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
• The next step would be assessing the tick bite wound and coming in to get evaluated. If you can save the tick in a zip lock bag, you can bring it in to confirm if it was a deer tick that bit you. 

AFC Urgent Care Malden Can Help Remove Ticks For YOU

Listen, we hate deer ticks, too! 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 and can help evaluate you for any tick borne related illnesses. If you do happen to have a deer tick on you and you’re unsure of how long it’s been on you, we can perform lab work to check if you have Lyme disease. Lyme disease can be treated with a course of antibiotics. The sooner you treat it, the better it will be in the long run.

AFC Urgent Care Malden is open 7 days a week with no appointment needed. Just walk-in and we’ll help remove your tick.