Coming back from a walk in the forest, you realize that you have been “bitten” by a tick ? It must be removed without delay so as not to risk complications, but be careful, not just anyhow. The tick is a parasitic mite present in wooded and humid areas, but also in meadows, or even in parks, and which is capable of transmitting, through a bite, Lyme disease. This disease can cause fever, headaches, fatigue, or even muscle pain, recalls the Health Insurance website.
A tick bite can therefore have serious health consequences, which is why it is important to know how to remove a tick safely. In a TikTok video, rescuer Lionel Ventura explained in detail what to do when faced with a tick bite, and how to get rid of this parasite. “Be very careful, the tick can carry Lyme disease which can cause us very big problems, so it cannot be removed just like that.”, he insists.
Tick bite: how to properly remove the parasite?
When faced with a tick bite, there is only one right behavior to adopt. “You should definitely not listen to people who tell you that you have to remove it with essential oil, ether, soap, because the tick will spit and if it carries the disease you will get sick.”, declares the rescuer in his video. It is formal: “a tick withdraws with a tick remover”. This small plastic hook can be found in pharmacies or supermarkets and allows you to remove the mite without risk of regurgitation.
How to properly use the tick remover to safely remove ticks? Lionel Ventura explains step by step how to remove it using this essential tool:
- “Firstly, you will engage your tick remover by pushing like this, this will lift its abdomen, because you must not touch the abdomen of the tick, this is when it will spit”, he begins.
- “Then we will really have to go and recover the head, so we will insert the tick remover then turn, in the opposite direction or clockwise.”, he continues.
- Once the tick is gently removed, “clean with an antiseptic or soapy water”.
If you do not have no tick remover or you cannot remove the parasite, the first aider advises”go to the pharmacy or to your doctor”.
@lvprvention You have just been bitten by a tick. You really have to remove it correctly to avoid getting lyme disease. #simulation #makeup
What to do after removing the tick
But be careful, the operation is not completely finished after removing the tick. “What is super important given that you have just been bitten by a tick is to make a report on the Citique website”, adds the expert. Citique is a participatory research program where citizens can help research into ticks and the diseases they transmit. “You will also place this tick immediately on a paper towel, wrap it without crushing it and to prevent it from escaping you will tape it and send it to Citique to get the results”.
It is also important to monitor the progress of your tick bite to detect the slightest abnormal reaction. “If a few hours, a few weeks later, the small redness is greater than 5 cm, you will go directly to your doctor.”, says the rescuer. He completes that “if you have difficulty breathing, hives, fever, nausea, vomiting, you go directly to your doctor”.
Additional source:
- Tick bite and Lyme disease prevention: what to do? – Ameli.fr
