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Fact or Fiction? 8 Myths About Tick Treatment and Removal

January 25th, 2010 Posted in Spiders & Other Arachnids

There are a lot of stories flying around about ticks, no pun intended. Over the years you’ve been told “you have to burn them off” or “all ticks carry lyme disease.” But don’t believe everything you hear. There are a lot of myths about tick treatment (especially the treatment of lyme disease) and removal that you should know.

Read on for:

• 4 myths about tick removal
• 4 myths about tick treatment (especially lyme disease)

4 myths about tick removal

There seems to be old wives’ tales about everything. But there is a reason they are called “tales” and not “facts.” Great Aunt Millie doesn’t know as much as she thinks about tick treatment and removal.

There are many proper ways to remove ticks, but some of the top myths are:

• Myth 1: Burn them off with a match
• Myth 2: Use fingernail polish
• Myth 3: Put petroleum jelly on the tick
• Myth 4: If the mouth parts break off, it’s okay to leave them in your skin

Myth 1: Burn them off with a match

Burning has been a popular method for years. Technically, using a hot match can kill a tick. But before it dies, the tick will regurgitate potentially harmful fluids through its mouth and into your skin. Pretty gross, huh? Plus, it’s not too wise to voluntarily burn your skin.

Myth 2: Use fingernail polish

Some say that putting a coat of nail polish on a tick will suffocate it. Although the fumes are powerful, the use of nail polish to suffocate ticks is not effective.

Myth 3: Put petroleum jelly on the tick

Many think that cutting off a tick’s oxygen under a jelly prison will prevent the spread of disease. But just like the match trick, this will only irritate the tick. This method could also prompt a tick to regurgitate into the bite.

Myth 4: If the mouth parts break off, it’s okay to leave them in your skin

There are actually two competing viewpoints on this. If the mouth is detached, many encourage the removal of mouth parts to prevent a secondary infection. But some doctors say more harm can be caused by trying to dig out the mouth parts from the skin.

My advice? Ask a doctor you trust.

Surely you’ve heard other stories about the treatment of ticks. So make sure to always do your own research and seek medical advice before unnecessarily covering you skin in petroleum jelly or nail polish.

4 myths about tick treatment (especially lyme disease)

If by a slim chance you do contract a disease from a tick bite, the one most people are concerned with is lyme disease. Its treatment is also one of the most misunderstood.

Some of the top myths about tick treatment when it comes to lyme disease are:

• Myth 1: Every bite carries the possibility of lyme disease
• Myth 2: If bitten, you should continue to take preventative antibiotics
• Myth 3: Chronic lyme disease is common
• Myth 4: I should get blood work right away to diagnose lyme disease

Myth 1: Every bite carries the possibility of lyme disease.

Not every type of tick carries lyme disease. Only ticks in the genus Ixodes (more commonly known as deer ticks) carry the bacteria B. burgdorferi which causes the disease. The risk of infection is actually 1-3 percent.

Myth 2: If bitten, you should continue to take preventative antibiotics

Many people think that bites should routinely treated with antibiotics.

But for many, treatment for lyme disease is easy. Once treated after you’re bitten, preventative antibiotics are not necessary.

Myth 3: Chronic lyme disease is common

Like many other diseases, chronic lyme disease can be misdiagnosed. Certain symptoms from other chronic diseases may cause a patient to believe they have it. However, it has not been proven that chronic symptoms are due to lyme disease, even if the disease was contracted in the past.

Myth 4: I should get blood work right away to diagnose lyme disease

In its early stages, antibody levels will be too low for blood work to detect lyme disease. In later stages, if the disease is present, blood work can be used.

Although there is a lot of wrong information out there, tick-borne infections are not as prevalent as you may think.

No matter what you hear about tick treatment and removal, it’s important to know fact from fiction. Just always be sure to do your own research and wear all natural bug repellent outside.

And tell Great Aunt Millie to mind her own business!