How to Treat a Deer Tick Bite

Deer ticks should be removed with care.

Deer ticks, unlike other types of ticks, carry Lyme disease, a disease that causes flu-like symptoms, fatigue, joint pain, and can evolve into a condition that causes permanent heart damage and neurological damage if not caught early and treated. Approximately one-third of all deer ticks carry Lyme disease. Removing a deer tick is a harrowing experience. Improper removal can force more of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease into your body, so proper deer tick treatment is crucial.

Things You'll Need

• Tweezers
• Tea tree oil
• Glass container with lid
• Rubbing alcohol

Instructions

1. Calm the person down (if it is on your body, remain calm as well) and examine the site of the deer tick bite carefully. Is the tick relatively flat? Is it engorged? If it is engorged, this may be a sign that the tick has been there for some time.

2. Take a pair of tweezers and go near bright light to see the entire deer tick. Is the tick moving? It will have tiny legs and the head will most likely be embedded in the skin. The deer tick head will contain tiny mouth-parts--small pincers that are embedded in the skin and not viewable from your angle. You must remove the deer tick intact and not leave the head or mouthparts in the person.

3. Grasp the head of the deer tick as close to the point of skin entry as possible. Do not tweeze the body of the deer tick; this may push bacteria into the human's body. If the deer tick bite is in the scalp, clear away hair, as the hair may get caught in the tweezers and make deer tick removal very difficult.

4. Pull the deer tick out of the human's body carefully. Drop the tick into a glass jar or small container.

5. Examine the deer tick bite. Are there any mouth-parts remaining? Is the deer tick head out? If any parts remain, you must go back in with the tweezers and remove them, placing them in the glass container.

6. Pour rubbing alcohol into the glass container so that the deer tick is submerged. You can take the tick to a Lyme disease specialist for lab testing. Only 1/3 of deer ticks test positive for Lyme disease, so testing the tick is important before going on lengthy antibiotics protocols to prevent Lyme disease.

7. Wash the tick bite if there is blood, and dab tea tree oil on the bite site. Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial oil and will help with healing.

8. Visit a doctor or nurse as soon as possible after the bite.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid to remove the tick, but be very careful not to squeeze an engorged tick.

• Do not leave the tick in place and then seek medical attention. The longer the deer tick is in the body, the worse the outcome for the human.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish