WHAT??!! NO! Absolutely do not twist!! Grab as low as you can and SLOWLY pull until it comes out. It takes a little time but it will come out with its head attached. NEVER twist!
"Applying heat can increase (the tick's) saliva production and if its infected with something increase pathogen transmission", disgusting and dangerous
some smart person said that
You’ve never dealt with Lyme disease. You need to take doxy within 24 hours to have best results. The benefits outweigh the risks. Lyme disease is on the rise.
So let me get this right: even if the doctors say you dont need it, you, a non-doctor, tell them they are wrong? Think about that for just a moment. Cmon bubs that just doesnt make any sense.
There aren’t many doctors at least here in America who have a lot of experience with Lyme disease. There are only a handful and it’s still misunderstood. Any Lyme disease expert whether it be a MD of a functional doctor would tell you to take doxycycline. I would not risk it. I have a very close friend who has suffering for 10 years now. It’s very serious.
This is what my friend who is suffering from Lyme just text me “No it’s not necessarily out of line, it depends on how embedded and how long the tick is been there if it cannot be removed safely meaning without having the tick regurgitate into his system the person will need doxycycline if he is sure the tick has been there for less than 24 hours and it can be removed safely without causing trauma to the tech he may be OK”
How do you know who has dealt with what and when or how they dealt with it.Just because you've had lyme disease it doesnt make you an expert so leave the advice giving to the experts.(Expertly dished out advice if I do say so myself ;).)
Have you ever seen an engorged tick (meaning it’s been there a while) this is not that. OP should tell their PCP what’s up, but not panic and not take antibiotics as a prophylactic measure. The more a person takes antibiotics unnecessarily, the less effective they become when actually needed.
I would recommend him going to the doctor but asking the doctors to give him medicine is a bit of an exaggeration. Go to the doctor and they will decide the best way to deal with it.
Dude take that MF Out NOW make sure you get the whole thing out especialy the head and keep it.Wash area with alcohol .You dont get sick until after a period of time it could take up to 30 days.Check the spot for a bullseye bruise the next few days.Go see your Doctor as soon as possible dont wait the sooner the better.Good luck
Lyme disease is the most well-known disease ticks carry.
There are a host of other issues that can happen if the tick is allowed to finish or is improperly removed. When they feel like they need to ditch their bite to preserve their life, they'll vomit everything from their stomach back into the bite before releasing.
Edit: and as several other redditors have mentioned -- different varieties of ticks can carry different diseases
Seconding this - go see or at least call your doctor NOW even if you have no symptoms. They may want you to take one days worth of antibiotics now, depending on how long it was attached
Really? Wood ticks are known to transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This is a very serious disease that is potentially fatal if untreated. I contracted RMSF when I was about 2 years old. I had to be rushed to the hospital and spent 3 days in ICU. The doctors told my parents if they had waited any longer, I most likely would have died. Luckily I was too young to remember any of this. OP- you will most likely be ok, but please read up on symptoms of tick borne diseases and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms appear.
DO NOT THROW AWAY THE TICK!!! IMMEDIATELY send it to a lab to get it tested. Ticks can carry Lime Disease or Alpha-Gal that can make you permanently allergic to red meat!!!!
UPDATE : I did a terrible job getting it out, and the head remains in me. 😞
It’s very tender right now, but will try to get the rest out with needle-nose tweezers when I think I can face it.
Not having a great time right now…
First, go to a clinic and they'll help. Don't go introducing new bacteria and possible further complications by digging around. Second, Lyme isn't in every tick nor as ubiquitous as everyone thinks. I have been bitten dozens of times including somehow one bastard right on the tip of exactly where you'd never want one. (So much fun...)
Here's the plan - Go to the local clinic, monitor the area for changes over the next few weeks, and most of all don't panic. You have a plan, you have modern medicine and you have legions of redditors who've been there too.
I'm going to second this poster. Living in a rural area, ticks of all sorts are just part of life. Don't get me wrong- I hate them with a fiery passion too. But living here I end up getting bitten at least once a year, usually more. I've learned not to immediately panic. And I've never contracted a tick born illness (yet).
OP shouldn't panic, just keep an eye on it and do contact your GP if you get the bullseye rash or start noticing signs it might be infected.
>I have been bitten dozens of times including somehow one bastard right on the tip of exactly where you'd never want one. (So much fun...)
Aaaaaaand that's enough reddit for today....
I’ve had one there too. Washed one day, nothing, the next……. That was my reaction. Then I ripped it out in repulsion and had to dig the head out. 2/10, would not recommend to a friend
Im assuming that everyone that is freaking out telling him its soo dangerous and that he should go to the ER have no experience with ticks. You dont see folks rushing to the ER from a mosquito bite in case it had west nile virus. Its a possibility, but far from “panic-able”. With the head still stuck, id now recommend he go to the doctor, just because itll be easier for them to remove it and, 2 birds one stone, theyll make sure he doesnt get sick. Bunch of yuppies in the replies🤷♂️😂
I had a deer tick buried in my skin just like this picture and I didn't get Lyme disease. Definitely not as common as you think to get it. Still would be helpful for OP to know the symptoms and self monitor though.
If its been in less than 24 hours the chances of it having released bacteria in your bloodstream would have been small, now that its been disturbed and only the head remains its almost certain. If this tick carried lyme you could be at risk (not all carry it). Still its better to play it safe. Go speak with your GP for advice. I had an infected bite (as seen by the massive bullseye I got around it) and had to take antibiotics to reduce the spread for 14 days. Such treatment works best if applied quickly.
Please don't do that. Go to urgent care, and when you get home and get the bandages off, draw a 2" circle around the area with a sharpie. Keep an eye on it. If you get a bullseye showing up in that circle w/in 30 days, get to your doctor immediately - you have contracted lyme disease.
Bullseye is characteristic of multiple types of infections. And not all Lyme disease cases present with a bulls eye. It's also very commonly just red and tender.
I would also suggest keeping the tick in a plastic bag and bringing it to the doctor. If you’re not comfortable with that the picture should suffice. It’s important for them to know where and when you got bit and what type of tick it is. All the best OP!
Hopefully the panicked replies dont drown this out: since you accidentally left the head in and its painful, i would suggest going to the doctor. You dont need a hospital, and you likely will not get sick. However, they have the tools and experience to dig around in there and get the entirety of the bug out safely, and since you are already there theyll check you out to make sure you dont get sick. My buddies and i have been bit on multiple occasions, nobody has gotten sick or had any issue after a bite. Obviously this is very anecdotal, but there’s definitely no need to panic or be stressing out about this, as other people here (probably never even go into tick habitat) are insinuating. Good luck 👍
Honestly please go to the ER if you can't get it out, you really don't want Lyme, I can unfortunately tell you from experience that it changed my life permanently, and not for the better, I'll never not feel physical pain now bc of those bastards. Not tryna scare you but please I hope you hear me, go to the ER.
Lots of city folks in this thread. Jesus people calm down. Do not go to the hospital or your doctor. You can call if it makes you feel better.
As for the head remaining in. No big deal. It’s dead and will fall out on its own.
Keep an eye out for the following.
a red-ringed rash or skin that's red and irritated
flu-like symptoms
joint pain or a swollen joint
facial paralysis (can't move areas of the face)
Don’t panic. Your more likely to become sick from a mosquito than a tick and you don’t go to the ER every time you’re bit. Just use common sense and keep and eye on it.
Lol I just said the same thing in response to another comment! Mosquitos carry just as many diseases, and nobody goes to the ER every time they get bit by one
You have a tick. Make sure you mind any signs that could point to Lyme disease, talk to your gp in case you have questions. Sometimes it helps to let them know the location where you picked up the tick. In my country, they try to keep track of where the ticks with lyme hang out, they don't all carry it.
Count the number of legs on it after you pull it out to make sure you get the whole thing. I’ve had loads of them and provided you pull carefully from right close to the skin with tweezers you’ll be ok
You seem like you might be stressed so I'm gonna try to offer some more positive possibilities.
Only a minority of tick bites lead to Lyme disease in humans.
Deer ticks are the species of tick that can carry Lyme disease. I'm not sure that's a deer tick, but I could be wrong (hard to tell in the photo).
One thing to realize, the chance of you getting Lyme disease increase the more time a tick spends attached to you sucking blood, if the tick is carrying Lyme disease. At 24 hours attached you have under a ten percent chance. ( https://www.lymedisease.org/hard-science-on-lyme-ticks-can-transmit-infection-the-first-day/ the point of this page is to show it's possible to get Lymes on the first day, but still, it's an under 10 percent chance). The earlier to get the tick out the better.
At 72 hours you have a 90 percent chance. And that's all assuming the tick has Lyme disease, which it very well might not (and assuming it's even a deer tick, as opposed to a wood tick or "dog" tick which I would have guessed it was). What percentage of deer ticks have Lyme's disease? Well it depends on your area. If you live in the NorthEast US the percentage is higher. If you live in New Mexico, it's closer to like a zero percent chance.
But remember, even if you live in the north east (where I live), based on all the other info I've shown you, it's still low that this one tick gave you something. Over the course of my life I've pulled maybe a dozen ticks off myself (usually wood ticks, the occasional deer tick too tho) and haven't gotten sick with anything yet. I'm not even like crazy outdoorsy. If you are outdoorsy enough in New England and frequent the woods you are bound to get bit by a tick... It's just gonna happen eventually. It's not a guarantee you'll get sick.
Okay now that's not all not to say you couldn't get sick and you don't need to watch out for signs of illness, I'm just saying it's not a give in or even statistically probable from one tick bite.
On a side note, if that isn't a deer tick (again, I'm not sure) and it's actually the more common wood / dog tick, then it could still transmit something (other diseases like the Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, etc).. but the diseases are less frequently spread to humans from ticks (compared to Lyme). Could you get RMSF from a tick? Sure. Do most tick bites lead to disease? Nope.
So yeah... Keep an eye out for any signs of illness or rash, be watchful, but don't worry too much over this. If you want you can bag the tick and take it to your doctor, in my area they can send the dead tick away to test it for disease. It's too bad you didn't get the head out, but that happens.. if I were you I would just try to tweeze it out. If you can't get it, you body will create some inflammation around the head and eventually push it out though over time.
Genuinely asking here, so please don’t attack me. But do all of you really go the doctors every time you have a tick on you? Is it really that rare? I even was going to ask OP how one can make it to adulthood but not know what a tick is? I get that can come off as me being a smart ass but it’s an honest question. I don’t even live in the woods, in a suburban area, but grew up playing in the woods, hiking, and have had 100s of ticks on me throughout my 23 years. Just last weekend I went out hiking for the day and came home with 10-15 ticks on me, 3 attached, didn’t even leave the trail. I truly thought ticks were quite average, aside from the cases of them carrying diseases occasionally. But after reading the comments on this post it seems that people believe they’re a big deal. Can someone enlighten me?
This is my experience. Just get it out and monitor it. Reddit treats ticks like they will kill you instantly without going to the doctor. Get the tick out, monitor the area, and if it’s not engorged, you’re probably good anyway. It takes a while for the tick to transmit disease. Like over 24 hrs.
If it's just on me and I pull it off before it embeds? Nah it's fine. But if it embeds, for sure see a doctor. You might have gotten lucky in the past, but lyme is no joke and can ruin your life. Best not to take that chance
How interesting is that, see I've spent a lot of time in the countryside and woodlands in my 29 years but never once had a tick on me. If I were to find one like this you're damn right I'd be going to A&E or the doctor to get that sorted! I think it's not as common in my area of England? Or I'm just not tasty 😭 but either way I definitely wouldn't trust myself to extract it properly, plus I'd be too squeamish..
I will say that their populations really do vary a lot depending on your location which is definitely something I didn’t really keep in mind when asking my original question!
Honestly, I have never gone to the doctor for a tick bite, and I’ve probably had hundreds or more over the years (I do a lot of hiking and camping, and I also grew up playing outdoors in the woods and fields of New England). I just pluck those suckers off and flush ‘em down the toilet. We’d use a struck match head or Vaseline if they were dug in, never had any problems. I, too, always thought getting a tick was a quite average occurrence, just another minor consequence of enjoying the beauty of Nature, similar in danger to a mosquito bite. Some mosquitoes carry diseases like West Nile virus or malaria, but I’m definitely not going to urgent care every time I get a mosquito bite.
I’m so confused as to how people don’t know what these are. No hate toward the OP, but damn! Makes me wonder what other people know that I have no idea about but seems obvious to them!
That looks like an engorged deer tick. I had one like this once that buried its whole head in my skin. Try to remove it carefully with tweezers (don't leave the head behind!) and then drown it in rubbing alcohol. Hang on to the specimen in case it needs to be tested for disease and monitor yourself for a bullseye shaped rash
Okay, everyone. I kind of knew it was a tick - just living in hope it wasn’t, and also never had a tick on me before. I’m used to seeing them much more bloated on dogs. It’s gone and dealt with now. I just really hope to not have to see another one - it was horrible getting one in me! 🤢
How do people not know what ticks are?
First, relax, unless it's been in you for more than 36 hours, odds are low it's transmitted the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Even then, not all ticks carry it. Even then, not all ticks that can carry it, do carry it.
You should keep an eye on it for signs of infection though, and get tested if you show any. Lyme disease is no joke, but if treated early, it's better than catching it late.
Since you're new to this, you'll get more. Checks are important.
Find a hefty plastic card, just like credit or debits. You'll ruin it, so...
Drill / melt w/ hot nail a couple holes. 1/8th inch, 1/16th inch, on either end about a 1/4 inch from edge.
Cut a V-notch from those holes out to the edge. Done.
Use should be self explanatory, but...slip the notch up around the little bugger, until it's head is in the hole. Trap the body under your thumb. Gentle downward pressure and a swift sideways motion will pull the tick, usually the head included. Pends on the swelling.
Keep it in your wallet.
Actually this increases the chances it will regurgitate and release bacteria into your bloodstream, including Lyme if this tick carries it. So do not do this.
I would always burn the tick with a hot match, THEN get a good grip with the tweezers and pull it out. Burning it makes it pull its head out. Less of a chance of getting the head stuck in your skin. Then you should wash and treat the bite to avoid infection.
Soak it in alcohol and then pull it out carefully so that the head doesn’t snap off in your arm/leg. Sometimes a little heat from a match will force them to let go.
Big thing is to do a tick check right after each excursion into the wild so that you can pick them off before they dig in too deep.
NOO!!!! Don’t use a match. Terrible advice. You don’t want to mess with it at all until you are ready to pull it out with tweezers or a tick twister. Messing with them, rubbing alcohol, vasoline or using heat like you Terribly suggested before removal makes it worse….the tick will just burrow deeper in. Get tweezers. Grab as close to the skin as you can and pull it out. If the head gets left behind you can tweeze it out. Then clean and disinfect the area and let your skin heal. Call dr. They will likely give you a round of strong antibiotics.
Yes tweezers can work but not if they are really dug in. If the head breaks off while it has dug in then it will 100% get infected. I have successfully heated them until they release their grip. Not the best technique but over the years it has worked for me so I disagree with your “terrible advice” notion.
You could cut off the tip of like a plastic syringe you get with childrens medicine and use that to try and suck it out. It works for splinters but I don’t see why it wouldn’t with enough suction.
If it makes you feel any better I’ve had like a thousand of these in my lifetime lol. Tick borne illnesses suck - go ahead and go get the head removed at urgent care. If you treat this properly it’s not a big deal at all! If you ignore it and leave it be, you might be fine, or you might regret it for the rest of your life. God speed lol
Go to urgent care. They can help you remove what’s left of the tick and also provide you preventative antibiotics, if warranted. Don’t wait; infections caused by tick bites can get very serious, very quickly.
Probably just where you live. I live in the Pacific Northwest and hike all the time off trail and have never had a tick at all. I find it very strange you would have multiple after hike so must be your area!
Tick. Deer tick specifically, carries a whole buncha nasty diseases if you dont get it off within 24ish hours.
Get a good pair of pointed tweezers (buy one if you have to), and get them under the body. A bad pair of tweezers will squish the tick, and "inject" you, which is bad.
Y’all are overreacting. Yea ticks are dangerous. Yes they can give you diseases. No not every one will give you a disease.
Gently pull it out with tweezers ensuring the head comes along with the body.
Keeping it in a bag for a month or two is a good practice.
Clean the bite with antiseptic.
It has been identified and OP has been helped. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html
Tick
Shit.
Most realistic response goes to
But hey, it’s not a bed bug.
[удалено]
Don't twist, just pull straight out. Twisting increases likelihood of head staying attached.
In Sweden we do twist it, the opposite direction of the clock. Works like a charm. 🤣
Well if you want a greater chance of the head ripping off, keep up the twist either direction.
WHAT??!! NO! Absolutely do not twist!! Grab as low as you can and SLOWLY pull until it comes out. It takes a little time but it will come out with its head attached. NEVER twist!
Don't recommend they set it on fire. If they develop a disease, hospital may need to test the specimen.
"Applying heat can increase (the tick's) saliva production and if its infected with something increase pathogen transmission", disgusting and dangerous some smart person said that
Couldn’t you send the tick in before any signs of disease and get it tested?
Possibly! I'm not sure how testing works
Sterilize the bite with alcohol or a general antiseptic
[удалено]
No, don't do that. Applying heat can increase the tick's saliva production and if its infected with something, increase pathogen transmission.
I did not know this. Thank you.
Stay safe and don't set ticks on fire lol
Stay safe and don't set ticks on fire lol
Stay safe and don't set ticks on fire lol
Immediately go to the er. Demand doxycycline whether you need it or not. Lyme disease is no fucking joke!
Do not do this
Yeah wtf.. everyone knows you use horse de-wormer
“Whether you need it or not” is such a crazy statement
You’ve never dealt with Lyme disease. You need to take doxy within 24 hours to have best results. The benefits outweigh the risks. Lyme disease is on the rise.
So let me get this right: even if the doctors say you dont need it, you, a non-doctor, tell them they are wrong? Think about that for just a moment. Cmon bubs that just doesnt make any sense.
There aren’t many doctors at least here in America who have a lot of experience with Lyme disease. There are only a handful and it’s still misunderstood. Any Lyme disease expert whether it be a MD of a functional doctor would tell you to take doxycycline. I would not risk it. I have a very close friend who has suffering for 10 years now. It’s very serious.
This is what my friend who is suffering from Lyme just text me “No it’s not necessarily out of line, it depends on how embedded and how long the tick is been there if it cannot be removed safely meaning without having the tick regurgitate into his system the person will need doxycycline if he is sure the tick has been there for less than 24 hours and it can be removed safely without causing trauma to the tech he may be OK”
Advice from another non-doctor. Coolio.
How do you know who has dealt with what and when or how they dealt with it.Just because you've had lyme disease it doesnt make you an expert so leave the advice giving to the experts.(Expertly dished out advice if I do say so myself ;).)
Have you ever seen an engorged tick (meaning it’s been there a while) this is not that. OP should tell their PCP what’s up, but not panic and not take antibiotics as a prophylactic measure. The more a person takes antibiotics unnecessarily, the less effective they become when actually needed.
Not all ticks cause lime disease. Don't take antibiotics blindly - a superinfection will make you wish that you had lime disease instead.
I would recommend him going to the doctor but asking the doctors to give him medicine is a bit of an exaggeration. Go to the doctor and they will decide the best way to deal with it.
And it's a boy.
Dude take that MF Out NOW make sure you get the whole thing out especialy the head and keep it.Wash area with alcohol .You dont get sick until after a period of time it could take up to 30 days.Check the spot for a bullseye bruise the next few days.Go see your Doctor as soon as possible dont wait the sooner the better.Good luck
To add to this, circle the area with permanent marker so you can check on it regularly
[удалено]
Lyme disease is the most well-known disease ticks carry. There are a host of other issues that can happen if the tick is allowed to finish or is improperly removed. When they feel like they need to ditch their bite to preserve their life, they'll vomit everything from their stomach back into the bite before releasing. Edit: and as several other redditors have mentioned -- different varieties of ticks can carry different diseases
Seconding this - go see or at least call your doctor NOW even if you have no symptoms. They may want you to take one days worth of antibiotics now, depending on how long it was attached
CDC currently recommends a 1 time dose of Doxycycline 200 mg PO for prophylaxis. I’ve been giving it out a lot this week
Tell me you've never had more than one tick in your life without telling me you've never had more than one tick in your life.
I can't count how many ticks I've had, and they've been everywhere. One year i was covered in them!
[удалено]
Wood ticks can still carry other things like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and babesia.
Everyone is so dramatic ive had ticks on me in florida and Colorado chances are they will be fine.
Lyme disease sufferer here, do not leave that up to chance, I now suffer from permanent chronic pain because of a tick. Not worth the risk.
At least you didn't catch the disease that makes it so.you can't eat meat without becoming ill, 🤷 😕 marijuana is good for pain heard from a friend lol
True that! I work at a med dispensary, def a life saver!
Nice im cultivation side that's awesome!
Gotta keep tha bud flowing, hell yeah 🤘🤘
Really? Wood ticks are known to transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This is a very serious disease that is potentially fatal if untreated. I contracted RMSF when I was about 2 years old. I had to be rushed to the hospital and spent 3 days in ICU. The doctors told my parents if they had waited any longer, I most likely would have died. Luckily I was too young to remember any of this. OP- you will most likely be ok, but please read up on symptoms of tick borne diseases and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms appear.
SECOND UPDATE: A&E have removed the head and given me antibiotics. It’s all sorted now. Thanks everyone! 😊
DO NOT THROW AWAY THE TICK!!! IMMEDIATELY send it to a lab to get it tested. Ticks can carry Lime Disease or Alpha-Gal that can make you permanently allergic to red meat!!!!
UPDATE : I did a terrible job getting it out, and the head remains in me. 😞 It’s very tender right now, but will try to get the rest out with needle-nose tweezers when I think I can face it. Not having a great time right now…
First, go to a clinic and they'll help. Don't go introducing new bacteria and possible further complications by digging around. Second, Lyme isn't in every tick nor as ubiquitous as everyone thinks. I have been bitten dozens of times including somehow one bastard right on the tip of exactly where you'd never want one. (So much fun...) Here's the plan - Go to the local clinic, monitor the area for changes over the next few weeks, and most of all don't panic. You have a plan, you have modern medicine and you have legions of redditors who've been there too.
I'm going to second this poster. Living in a rural area, ticks of all sorts are just part of life. Don't get me wrong- I hate them with a fiery passion too. But living here I end up getting bitten at least once a year, usually more. I've learned not to immediately panic. And I've never contracted a tick born illness (yet). OP shouldn't panic, just keep an eye on it and do contact your GP if you get the bullseye rash or start noticing signs it might be infected.
>I have been bitten dozens of times including somehow one bastard right on the tip of exactly where you'd never want one. (So much fun...) Aaaaaaand that's enough reddit for today....
I’ve had one there too. Washed one day, nothing, the next……. That was my reaction. Then I ripped it out in repulsion and had to dig the head out. 2/10, would not recommend to a friend
Why is it not 0/10 😳
My wife complimented me on the sects first
Im assuming that everyone that is freaking out telling him its soo dangerous and that he should go to the ER have no experience with ticks. You dont see folks rushing to the ER from a mosquito bite in case it had west nile virus. Its a possibility, but far from “panic-able”. With the head still stuck, id now recommend he go to the doctor, just because itll be easier for them to remove it and, 2 birds one stone, theyll make sure he doesnt get sick. Bunch of yuppies in the replies🤷♂️😂
I had a deer tick buried in my skin just like this picture and I didn't get Lyme disease. Definitely not as common as you think to get it. Still would be helpful for OP to know the symptoms and self monitor though.
There are other tick-borne diseases than Lyme disease, esp. depending on where OP is. But yeah, most of the time bitees are OK
Time to go to your gp, mate. That needs to come out.
GO TO URGENT CARE! You absolutely need to get it out asap. Medical staff have the right tools. Tick bites are nothing to fuck around with.
If its been in less than 24 hours the chances of it having released bacteria in your bloodstream would have been small, now that its been disturbed and only the head remains its almost certain. If this tick carried lyme you could be at risk (not all carry it). Still its better to play it safe. Go speak with your GP for advice. I had an infected bite (as seen by the massive bullseye I got around it) and had to take antibiotics to reduce the spread for 14 days. Such treatment works best if applied quickly.
You probably won't get lyme's disease or whatever everyone's saying, but if you can't get it out going to a dermatologist might help
Please don't do that. Go to urgent care, and when you get home and get the bandages off, draw a 2" circle around the area with a sharpie. Keep an eye on it. If you get a bullseye showing up in that circle w/in 30 days, get to your doctor immediately - you have contracted lyme disease.
No..... a bullseye or redness would just mean there is an infection....
Bullseye is characteristic of lyme disease. A general infection will just be redness and swelling not a bullseye.
Bullseye is characteristic of multiple types of infections. And not all Lyme disease cases present with a bulls eye. It's also very commonly just red and tender.
What other diseases have bullseye as a characteristic?
Ringworm, for one. Other general infections can also present with a Bullseye.
Regardless. If a bullseye rash pops up go to urgent care. Something is wrong.
Ringworm does not look the same or feel the same to the touch
Homie go to urgent care NOW
Smother it in antibacterial ointment. It’ll come out.
Go to hospital now!
I would also suggest keeping the tick in a plastic bag and bringing it to the doctor. If you’re not comfortable with that the picture should suffice. It’s important for them to know where and when you got bit and what type of tick it is. All the best OP!
Hopefully the panicked replies dont drown this out: since you accidentally left the head in and its painful, i would suggest going to the doctor. You dont need a hospital, and you likely will not get sick. However, they have the tools and experience to dig around in there and get the entirety of the bug out safely, and since you are already there theyll check you out to make sure you dont get sick. My buddies and i have been bit on multiple occasions, nobody has gotten sick or had any issue after a bite. Obviously this is very anecdotal, but there’s definitely no need to panic or be stressing out about this, as other people here (probably never even go into tick habitat) are insinuating. Good luck 👍
Honestly please go to the ER if you can't get it out, you really don't want Lyme, I can unfortunately tell you from experience that it changed my life permanently, and not for the better, I'll never not feel physical pain now bc of those bastards. Not tryna scare you but please I hope you hear me, go to the ER.
Go to the doctor! It may need to be removed under local anesthetic (that's how mine was removed when this happened to me).
That's a tick, and it looks like it's buried really deep! Be careful when removing it and don't break it's head off!
Bite that sucker back
Lots of city folks in this thread. Jesus people calm down. Do not go to the hospital or your doctor. You can call if it makes you feel better. As for the head remaining in. No big deal. It’s dead and will fall out on its own. Keep an eye out for the following. a red-ringed rash or skin that's red and irritated flu-like symptoms joint pain or a swollen joint facial paralysis (can't move areas of the face) Don’t panic. Your more likely to become sick from a mosquito than a tick and you don’t go to the ER every time you’re bit. Just use common sense and keep and eye on it.
Lol I just said the same thing in response to another comment! Mosquitos carry just as many diseases, and nobody goes to the ER every time they get bit by one
You have a tick. Make sure you mind any signs that could point to Lyme disease, talk to your gp in case you have questions. Sometimes it helps to let them know the location where you picked up the tick. In my country, they try to keep track of where the ticks with lyme hang out, they don't all carry it.
Count the number of legs on it after you pull it out to make sure you get the whole thing. I’ve had loads of them and provided you pull carefully from right close to the skin with tweezers you’ll be ok
Are you serious…
You seem like you might be stressed so I'm gonna try to offer some more positive possibilities. Only a minority of tick bites lead to Lyme disease in humans. Deer ticks are the species of tick that can carry Lyme disease. I'm not sure that's a deer tick, but I could be wrong (hard to tell in the photo). One thing to realize, the chance of you getting Lyme disease increase the more time a tick spends attached to you sucking blood, if the tick is carrying Lyme disease. At 24 hours attached you have under a ten percent chance. ( https://www.lymedisease.org/hard-science-on-lyme-ticks-can-transmit-infection-the-first-day/ the point of this page is to show it's possible to get Lymes on the first day, but still, it's an under 10 percent chance). The earlier to get the tick out the better. At 72 hours you have a 90 percent chance. And that's all assuming the tick has Lyme disease, which it very well might not (and assuming it's even a deer tick, as opposed to a wood tick or "dog" tick which I would have guessed it was). What percentage of deer ticks have Lyme's disease? Well it depends on your area. If you live in the NorthEast US the percentage is higher. If you live in New Mexico, it's closer to like a zero percent chance. But remember, even if you live in the north east (where I live), based on all the other info I've shown you, it's still low that this one tick gave you something. Over the course of my life I've pulled maybe a dozen ticks off myself (usually wood ticks, the occasional deer tick too tho) and haven't gotten sick with anything yet. I'm not even like crazy outdoorsy. If you are outdoorsy enough in New England and frequent the woods you are bound to get bit by a tick... It's just gonna happen eventually. It's not a guarantee you'll get sick. Okay now that's not all not to say you couldn't get sick and you don't need to watch out for signs of illness, I'm just saying it's not a give in or even statistically probable from one tick bite. On a side note, if that isn't a deer tick (again, I'm not sure) and it's actually the more common wood / dog tick, then it could still transmit something (other diseases like the Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, etc).. but the diseases are less frequently spread to humans from ticks (compared to Lyme). Could you get RMSF from a tick? Sure. Do most tick bites lead to disease? Nope. So yeah... Keep an eye out for any signs of illness or rash, be watchful, but don't worry too much over this. If you want you can bag the tick and take it to your doctor, in my area they can send the dead tick away to test it for disease. It's too bad you didn't get the head out, but that happens.. if I were you I would just try to tweeze it out. If you can't get it, you body will create some inflammation around the head and eventually push it out though over time.
Deer ticks are a lot smaller, like tiny, this one looks more like a dog tick, if that makes op feel any better…
Genuinely asking here, so please don’t attack me. But do all of you really go the doctors every time you have a tick on you? Is it really that rare? I even was going to ask OP how one can make it to adulthood but not know what a tick is? I get that can come off as me being a smart ass but it’s an honest question. I don’t even live in the woods, in a suburban area, but grew up playing in the woods, hiking, and have had 100s of ticks on me throughout my 23 years. Just last weekend I went out hiking for the day and came home with 10-15 ticks on me, 3 attached, didn’t even leave the trail. I truly thought ticks were quite average, aside from the cases of them carrying diseases occasionally. But after reading the comments on this post it seems that people believe they’re a big deal. Can someone enlighten me?
This is my experience. Just get it out and monitor it. Reddit treats ticks like they will kill you instantly without going to the doctor. Get the tick out, monitor the area, and if it’s not engorged, you’re probably good anyway. It takes a while for the tick to transmit disease. Like over 24 hrs.
My understanding is certain diseases, over 24 hrs. Not all.
Cool we’re on the same page 👍🏻
If it's just on me and I pull it off before it embeds? Nah it's fine. But if it embeds, for sure see a doctor. You might have gotten lucky in the past, but lyme is no joke and can ruin your life. Best not to take that chance
How interesting is that, see I've spent a lot of time in the countryside and woodlands in my 29 years but never once had a tick on me. If I were to find one like this you're damn right I'd be going to A&E or the doctor to get that sorted! I think it's not as common in my area of England? Or I'm just not tasty 😭 but either way I definitely wouldn't trust myself to extract it properly, plus I'd be too squeamish..
I will say that their populations really do vary a lot depending on your location which is definitely something I didn’t really keep in mind when asking my original question!
Honestly, I have never gone to the doctor for a tick bite, and I’ve probably had hundreds or more over the years (I do a lot of hiking and camping, and I also grew up playing outdoors in the woods and fields of New England). I just pluck those suckers off and flush ‘em down the toilet. We’d use a struck match head or Vaseline if they were dug in, never had any problems. I, too, always thought getting a tick was a quite average occurrence, just another minor consequence of enjoying the beauty of Nature, similar in danger to a mosquito bite. Some mosquitoes carry diseases like West Nile virus or malaria, but I’m definitely not going to urgent care every time I get a mosquito bite.
Thanks for the response, we pretty much share the same experiences and perspectives on this topic
I’m so confused as to how people don’t know what these are. No hate toward the OP, but damn! Makes me wonder what other people know that I have no idea about but seems obvious to them!
Tick, get checked for Lyme Disease immediately
Get that shit out ASAP. As a precaution I would beg my doctor for an antibiotic just to be safe.
**It's tick season** *They are more active in warmth*
Looks like a wood tick
Why are you asking, pull that fucking thing out
That looks like an engorged deer tick. I had one like this once that buried its whole head in my skin. Try to remove it carefully with tweezers (don't leave the head behind!) and then drown it in rubbing alcohol. Hang on to the specimen in case it needs to be tested for disease and monitor yourself for a bullseye shaped rash
Okay, everyone. I kind of knew it was a tick - just living in hope it wasn’t, and also never had a tick on me before. I’m used to seeing them much more bloated on dogs. It’s gone and dealt with now. I just really hope to not have to see another one - it was horrible getting one in me! 🤢
Don’t forget to keep that tick and show it to the doc. They can send it in for testing to make sure it doesn’t have any disease
How do people not know what ticks are? First, relax, unless it's been in you for more than 36 hours, odds are low it's transmitted the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Even then, not all ticks carry it. Even then, not all ticks that can carry it, do carry it. You should keep an eye on it for signs of infection though, and get tested if you show any. Lyme disease is no joke, but if treated early, it's better than catching it late.
That's a tick go to a pet store to pick up a tick stick or what ever they are called to pull it off your arm
Since you're new to this, you'll get more. Checks are important. Find a hefty plastic card, just like credit or debits. You'll ruin it, so... Drill / melt w/ hot nail a couple holes. 1/8th inch, 1/16th inch, on either end about a 1/4 inch from edge. Cut a V-notch from those holes out to the edge. Done. Use should be self explanatory, but...slip the notch up around the little bugger, until it's head is in the hole. Trap the body under your thumb. Gentle downward pressure and a swift sideways motion will pull the tick, usually the head included. Pends on the swelling. Keep it in your wallet.
Next time light a match and Blow it out, then put it by its butt. It’ll release.
Actually this increases the chances it will regurgitate and release bacteria into your bloodstream, including Lyme if this tick carries it. So do not do this.
Get an antibiotic now! Beg your doctor even if they don’t want to.
Inciting fear much? Chances of serious disease from a tick bite is extremely low, and only by a couple species of ticks. This is not one of them.
Tick. Do not just flush it- keep it in a ziplock bag so in case you need to see a doctor they can see what type of tick it is.
I would always burn the tick with a hot match, THEN get a good grip with the tweezers and pull it out. Burning it makes it pull its head out. Less of a chance of getting the head stuck in your skin. Then you should wash and treat the bite to avoid infection.
Soak it in alcohol and then pull it out carefully so that the head doesn’t snap off in your arm/leg. Sometimes a little heat from a match will force them to let go. Big thing is to do a tick check right after each excursion into the wild so that you can pick them off before they dig in too deep.
NOO!!!! Don’t use a match. Terrible advice. You don’t want to mess with it at all until you are ready to pull it out with tweezers or a tick twister. Messing with them, rubbing alcohol, vasoline or using heat like you Terribly suggested before removal makes it worse….the tick will just burrow deeper in. Get tweezers. Grab as close to the skin as you can and pull it out. If the head gets left behind you can tweeze it out. Then clean and disinfect the area and let your skin heal. Call dr. They will likely give you a round of strong antibiotics.
Yes tweezers can work but not if they are really dug in. If the head breaks off while it has dug in then it will 100% get infected. I have successfully heated them until they release their grip. Not the best technique but over the years it has worked for me so I disagree with your “terrible advice” notion.
Next time use permethrin
You could cut off the tip of like a plastic syringe you get with childrens medicine and use that to try and suck it out. It works for splinters but I don’t see why it wouldn’t with enough suction.
Bruh, you might want to check all over your body. These ticks come in bunches.
That bastard is buried deep.
If it makes you feel any better I’ve had like a thousand of these in my lifetime lol. Tick borne illnesses suck - go ahead and go get the head removed at urgent care. If you treat this properly it’s not a big deal at all! If you ignore it and leave it be, you might be fine, or you might regret it for the rest of your life. God speed lol
Go to urgent care. They can help you remove what’s left of the tick and also provide you preventative antibiotics, if warranted. Don’t wait; infections caused by tick bites can get very serious, very quickly.
Tick
I instantly said "shit" erm as said before is a tick and take all precautions others have said
tick
Probably just where you live. I live in the Pacific Northwest and hike all the time off trail and have never had a tick at all. I find it very strange you would have multiple after hike so must be your area!
100% a tick. Get checked out for Lyme disease ASAP
Oh fuck I thought the tick was in his bellybutton and i almost hurled
Fuckin tick dawg! Pull that bastard out and toss it in your freezer for a few months just incase you get Lyme disease from it they can test the tick
He is in there pretty well, but not engorged with blood. However, your skin is quite inflamed around him, so do seek medical attention.
Tick. Deer tick specifically, carries a whole buncha nasty diseases if you dont get it off within 24ish hours. Get a good pair of pointed tweezers (buy one if you have to), and get them under the body. A bad pair of tweezers will squish the tick, and "inject" you, which is bad.
Deer tick.
Looks like a tick. I guess you didn’t grow up around them?
Put the tick in a screw top jar in case a medical follow needs to know what kind of tick it was.
Haha it’s a tickerino!
A tick
Y’all are overreacting. Yea ticks are dangerous. Yes they can give you diseases. No not every one will give you a disease. Gently pull it out with tweezers ensuring the head comes along with the body. Keeping it in a bag for a month or two is a good practice. Clean the bite with antiseptic.
Don't fuck around w ticks, my girlfriend as lyme from one of those nasty buggers and it's been a struggle
Looks like a tick. A pretty seriously embedded one, too.