How-To: Remove a Tick

Next to poison oak (which I also have on the SAME leg, and it sucks), tick bites are the worst. My leg has been swollen for some days now, it is painful to even walk and now the itching won't stop. To top the pain, ticks also carry a rather long list of diseases, how exciting. FYI, I have an appointment set for some blood work, since I having a plethora of symptoms - exciting! Slash ticks are nast-aaaay!

Some mistakes I made in the removal of the tick:

1. Remove the tick ASAP, diseases are transferred after 24 hours after the bite. *I waited until my mom got off of work because I was afraid and couldn't get a good angle since it bit me on the back of my leg.
2. When removing, use tweezers and pull straight out. *Do not twist clockwise/counterclockwise, it actually increases the chances of detaching the body from the head. 
3. When removing, get as close to the skin as possible. *Grabbing the body causes the tick to infuse its disease.
4. Remove immediately! *My mom told me to put on a glob of vaseline and put a band-aide over it...to suffocate the lil' fucker, when in reality that just causes the tick to release its poison. Don't burn either...YEAH!

Tick-borne diseases + symptoms:

• Lyme disease — A variety of symptoms can occur, including a flulike illness, an expanding red rash that may include a central clear area (a bull's-eye rash), arthritis, heart rhythm problems, difficulties in thinking or perception, and neuropathies (pain or changes in sensation as a result of nerve damage).
• Human monocytic ehrlichiosis — Symptoms ranging from mild to severe can involve many organ systems. Common symptoms include high fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, weight loss and a spotted rash. Patients with weak immune systems can develop a fatal, overwhelming infection. Breathing difficulties and mental changes may also occur.
• Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis — Symptoms ranging from mild to severe include high fever, headache, a general sick feeling (malaise), achy muscles (myalgia), nausea, vomiting, cough, stiff neck and confusion. Less than 10% of people with this disease will develop a rash.

• Colorado tick fever — Flulike symptoms include fever and chills, severe headache, achy muscles (myalgia), stiff neck, light intolerance and, in some cases, a spotted rash.
• Babesiosis — Many people will not have any symptoms. Others develop fatigue, fever, drenching sweats, nausea, vomiting, headache, muscle aches, joint aches and jaundice. Patients with suppressed immune systems may develop severe disease.
• Tularemia — The symptoms of this disease vary widely. Some people do not have any symptoms, but this disease also can be severe, causing septic shock and death. Common symptoms include fever, chills, headache and a general sick feeling (malaise). Many people also develop a single, red ulcerated lump with a central scab and tender, swollen lymph nodes in the area. A small number of patients develop pneumonia.
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever — Symptoms include fever, headache, a spotted rash on wrists and ankles, and a patchy rash on arms and legs. Muscle aches (myalgia), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are also common.