NHS HIGHLAND: ‘I removed a tick last week - here’s what to do if you get bitten’
With some great spring weather and many days without rain, lots of us will have been out in the countryside for a walk or perhaps a run.
Some of us will have been out walking a dog in poor weather as well as in the sunshine. It is great to get out for both our physical health and our mental health. There are some hazards though at this time of the year, including ticks.
Ticks are like small spiders with six or eight legs. They can’t fly or jump, but they live on vegetation and can latch on to animals that pass by.
They then feed on blood after biting the animal. We can get bitten by ticks and I removed one last week, something that prompted me to write about them. Ticks tend to be around most from March to October and the growth of grass means that we are even more likely to encounter ticks at this time of year.
We can try to avoid ticks by staying on paths, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, tucking trousers into socks and using insect repellent. However, trying to avoid ticks is never going to be perfect and we need to check for ticks regularly on ourselves, children and pets and know how to remove them.
The sooner we can remove a tick after it has bitten the better. The best method to remove a tick is to use a special tick removal tool which can be obtained from pharmacies or outdoor shops, but fine-tipped tweezers can also be used. It is important to try to avoid squeezing the tick and not to use things like a match head, cigarette end or alcohol to remove ticks.
Once the tick is gone the bite area should be cleaned with soap and water and antiseptic cream.
The most important risk from ticks is from the diseases that they can carry and can pass on when they bite. Most ticks do not pass on these infections, but we need to be aware of what can happen, especially with Lyme disease. Lyme disease was first identified in the settlement of Old Lyme, Connecticut but is widespread in Britain.
It can develop after a tick bite and can show symptoms from about three days to a month or more after the bite. Sometimes there are symptoms like ‘flu and a fever and sometimes a circular or oval rash develops around the site of the bite that can look a bit like a bull’s eye. Lyme can cause serious long-term illness, but early treatment with antibiotics can prevent this. If we develop these symptoms and could have been bitten by a tick it is important to talk to our GP practice.
I hope that we all enjoy getting out over the better weather if we are able to do so, but also be aware of ticks.
Dr Tim Allison is NHS Highland’s director of public health and policy.
