How dangerous are ticks?

Hardly as big as a pinhead and yet so much feared: the tick. There are numerous misconceptions about the little arachnid and its sting. Therefore, we bring light into the darkness, explain how to safely remove a tick and give advice on how to protect yourself from its bite.

The tick belongs to the arachnids and is about 3 to 4 millimeters in size. It also belongs to the parasites and therefore feeds exclusively on the blood of its host. Ticks can infect humans and animals, but their bite is usually imperceptible.

The main reason for the concern about the tick is the fact that ticks can transmit pathogensand thereby cause infection with infectious diseases such asLyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, ehrlichiosis and other diseases.

Misconception around the tick

1. Misconception: Ticks biteDid you know that ticks do not bite, but sting? From an anatomical point of view, a tick can not bite at all. Once the tick has found a host, it cuts into its skin with its mouthpart and stabs it with a tongue-like sting to suck blood.

2. Misconception: Ticks fall fromtrees It is also a fairy tale that ticks lurk on trees and fall on their host as they pass. Ticks stay primarily in thickets, i.e. tall grasses, wild undergrowth and dense hedges.

3. Misconception: Black cumin oil prevents a tick biteThe effectiveness of natural tick repellents, such as coconut oil, lavender oil or black cumin oil is controversial. So far, there is no scientific evidence that natural repellents protect a tick from biting.

4. Misconception: The head of the tick must not get stuck under any circumstancesWhen removed, it can happen that remnants of the tick get stuck. However, this is not the head, but the biting tool. From a biological point of view, the tick has no head at all. If parts of the tick get stuck in the wound, this is usually harmless, as the skin will repel the remains on its own.

5. Misconception: Removing ticks is difficult and should be done by a doctorIf you discover a stuck tick on you, your child or your pet, you can easily remove it in a few steps. And you should do this immediately, because the faster a tick is removed, the lower the risk of infection. It is therefore not advisable to wait for an appointment with the doctor to remove the tick.

The only thing you should really pay attention to when removing it isnot to press on the body of the tickor kill it before you have removed it from the skin. Because by pressing or dying, the contents of the tick intestine get into the puncture site and thus promote the transmission of pathogens.

Safely remove a tick

With these simple steps you can get rid of the tick:

1. With tweezers, tick card or tick tongs you take the tick directly over the skin. It is important that the tweezers or pliers are applied so that they cannot crush the body of the tick.
2. Now pry out the tick carefully but with a slight pull. Be careful not to pull too hard or even tear so that as much of the tick as possible is removed.
3. If remnants of the tick remain in the wound, you can try to scrape them out with a tick card.
4. Do not try to squeeze the tick out of the wound.
5. Eliminate the tick in a handkerchief.
6. After removal, you should disinfect the affected area of skin with an antiseptic.
7. In the coming days and weeks you should observe the puncture site so that you can react quickly to any skin changes that may occur. However, if changes occur, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Tip:If the tick is so small that it is difficult to remove with tweezers or a tick card, you can also try a loop of thread or dental floss. Simply place the loop tightly against the skin around the tick, pull tight and carefully pull out.

Protect against ticks

If you are out in nature, you can protect yourself from a tick bite with these precautions:

• Avoid the thicket. It is better to walk on flat paths, mowed meadows or wide trails than to hike through the tall grass. You should also avoid the roadside if it is densely or overgrown.
• Put on sturdy shoes and long socks. This blocks the lurking tick the direct way to the skin.
• Make sure you wear closed clothing. Wear long pants and long-sleeved tops when walking in the woods or tall grass. Ideally, you should also put your pants in the socks so as not to offer the tick any attack surface.
• Apply repellents. There are quite a few insect repellents that, like mosquito spray, change the smell, humidity and temperature of the skin, making it less attractive to ticks.
• tend your garden. In order to avoid tick herds, it is advisable to trim the hedges, mow the lawn and prune dense undergrowth in the garden.
• Check for ticks. After your excursion into nature, you should thoroughly examine yourself (and possibly also your children and pets). Ticks prefer places where the skin is warm and thin, i.e. under the arms, in the back of the knees, between the toes or fingers, in the navel or on the head.

By the way: you can spot the little beasts faster on light-colored clothing before they settle down on your skin.

tick bite, now what?

If you have removed a tick from yourself or your child and notice a local skin change, such as a rash, you should have it checked by a doctor. With the Med-Healths app, you can easily upload a photo of the affected skin area before your appointment with a doctor. Our doctors can help you get to the bottom of the cause and advise you on how to proceed. If necessary, you will also receive a prescription, a sick note and/or a specialist referral from our doctors.

Also for insect bites of other kinds, as well as rashes without recognizable sting or bite you will receive medical advice via Med-Healths.