Story:
Good To Know! Tick Removal: A nurse discovered a safe, easy way to remove ticks where they automatically withdraw themselves when you follow her simple instructions. “I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a tick. “Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20); the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. Please pass on
Other Versions
Spring will be here soon and the ticks will soon be showing their heads.Here is a good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets.Give it a try.
Please forward to anyone with children… or hunters or dogs, or anyone who even steps outside in summer!!
A School Nurse has written the info below — good enough to share — And it really works!!
I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it’s some times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc.
Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away.This technique has worked every time I’ve used it (and that was frequently), and it’s much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me.
Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can’t see that this would be damaging in any way. I even had my doctor’s wife call me for advice because she had one stuck to her back and she couldn’t reach it with tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back to say,”It worked!”
Please pass on. Everyone needs this helpful hint.
Analysis:
The messages doing rounds online since many years state an easy method of Tick removal by using liquid soap and cotton ball, claiming it as an effective method suggested by a Pediatrician and shared by a Nurse. The claims are mixture of hoax and facts as explained below.
Ticks are tiny parasitic mites that bite and live on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and they also carry pathogens that can cause several diseases, including fever, rashes and illness. So ticks must be removed at the earliest. There have been many alternative, folklore ways used for tick removal, like by using various substances such as oil, alcohol, petroleum jelly, heat of a match stick, nail polish and kerosene, claiming that they will detach the parasitic tick from the skin and remove it automatically. Although the home remedies can be effective in some cases, they do not always work, and importantly, they are not advised by medical authorities, as slight mistake in removing the ticks can leave their residue over skin and can cause rashes and pass on diseases too. Moreover, these dangerous ticks must be removed immediately, instead of applying alternative methods and waiting for them to detach by themselves.
Safe Tick Removal
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states safe and effective procedure to remove ticks successfully:
- The easiest way to remove a tick is by holding it with a Tweezer close to the skin and pulling it straight out. You should be careful not to twist or jerk the tick while removing it, as this can leave its harmful body parts and residues over the skin (like shown in second picture of Image Gallery).
- If you are forced to use your fingers instead of a Tweezer, you should cover your fingers with a tissue while removing tick and wash them later.
- It is also important to wash the ticks bite area of skin with an antiseptic after removal.
- And following the ticks bite, if you feel or see any changes in your skin or health, it is advisable to consult a doctor soon.
How to Avoid Tick Bites
Like prevention is better than cure, it would be wise to avoid places inhabited by ticks whenever possible. When you doubt the presence of ticks in places you are visiting, make sure you wear clothes and boots to cover your body completely. After you return from tick infested areas, it is a good idea to check your complete body for tick bites using a hand-held or full-length mirror. As a safety measure, you can also use tick repellents containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide). Animals, especially pets, must also be checked for these tick bites, as they are also prone to them.
To conclude, it is better to avoid using alternative tick removal methods like applying liquid soap and waiting for the ticks to detach by themselves. It is wise and healthy to seek safe and standard ways of tick removal mentioned above.
Hoax or Fact:
Mixture of Hoax and Facts.
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