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Ticks - DJ (25th Jun 2019  12:36:58) What is the best way to get a tick out that is burrowed into human skin? Ticks carry nasty diseases but I can’t deal with this plastic tool I’ve got from the chemist. Plus, I was warned that it can be dangerous not to do it properly as the head can detach from the body and stay buried in the skin (yuk) My Dad who is post-cancer and in his 80’s was sent off with a flea in his ear by Liphook and Liss surgery who are adamant that none of the nurses or doctors are willing to help. He has a tick attached to his back, which he can’t see or reach. I’m quite afraid to do it wrong. Any advice- seeing as our healthcare professionals don’t give a flying-fig would be very gratefully received. He is very distressed about both the tick and the GP Surgery

Re: Ticks - Ian (25th Jun 2019  12:52:16) Strange the doc can’t remove it or advise how to or who can? Give them a ticking off. Maybe ask at a chemist or call the NHS advice line 111

Re: Ticks - Jim (25th Jun 2019  13:07:23) Go to the minor injuries walk in clinic and Haslemere and a nurse will deal with it?

Re: Ticks - Daphne Brown (25th Jun 2019  13:12:57) It may sound daft but try one of the local vets! They're pretty used to dealing with them.

Re: Ticks - A (25th Jun 2019  13:22:41) I would ring again, speak to someone else and politely express your concern. You can buy an inexpensive tool from amazon. I’m sure they will help given age, location and if yourself are not confident to remove. We do need to take a greater responsibility for minor issues, common sense along with practical and economical issues for a withering nhs. That said all staff at surgeries need to appreciate the impact their interactions have to patients such as your father or yourself. I do hope he gets sorted and health improves. Let’s all be a little kinder and more patient

Re: Ticks - DJ (25th Jun 2019  13:26:17) Thanks for all your advice. Went and got a plastic tool from the chemist, as I felt that taking Dad to the vets might upset more than he already is. I couldn’t do it with the plastic thing so I tried with tweezers. Totally gross as the whole thing sort of ‘exploded’ (blood everywhere). First I thought it was Dad bleeding but it was just from the inside of the tick. (Of course, shrieking didn’t help.....) Then I had to dig about to make sure all the black bits were gone. His back looked like Mount Vesuvius by the time I’d finished. I covered it with savlon and put a plaster on it. Hopefully the redness and swelling will go down. I can’t believe that bloody surgery!! Apparently he was on the phone with them being quite insistent that he would not be able to do it himself, but the woman on the phone simply wouldn’t allow him to come in ??

Re: Ticks - Sarah (25th Jun 2019  13:36:43) The plastic tool thing is very easy and quick. if it’s the one with a little two pronged fork on each end. Slide it under the tick from the side (not from the head/bottom end), lift slightly as if you’re slightly pulling the tick away from the skin, and twist until it comes off. Normally just one twist will do it. Have loo roll ready and wrap and squish it! It gets the whole tick off so easily without leaving bits behind. Brilliant thing!

Re: Ticks - lac (25th Jun 2019  13:52:21) Amazon can deliver a "tick twister" removal tool for about £5. You slide the two prongs round the tick and then "unscrew" it with a gentle tug. Works a treat on our dog (and us). Fine tweezers can also be used but do not crush the tick, instead pull it gently from the skin by gripping below the body. If any mouth parts are left (done carefully, there will not be), remove with fine tweezers. Wipe skin with alcohol or antiseptic and wash hands. Dispose of tick by wrapping in tissue and flushing away. As about 10% of local ticks carry Lyme disease, watch out for flu like symptoms and/or a rash round the bite site about a week later. Sometimes a further outer ring of rash can also be seen. If either occurs consult your doctor as antibiotics against the bacteria causing Lyme disease may be needed. Infection is uncommon but needs to be considered. Symptom development can take from a few days to a few weeks so it's worth noting the day of any bite and reporting the bite to your doctor if a flu like illness develops after a week or two as the rash does not occur in all patients. As a footnote, I have never seen as many ticks about as this year. Presumably conditions have been ideal for them. Watch out for any black small spider like insect 1mm to 2mm in size crawling on your lower limbs. They instinctively head for areas of the body with skin folds or behind knees. Wear long socks if going anywhere near long grass/vegetation etc and make sure your dog or cat has a collar or tablets to prevent ticks attaching. Deet will also repel them.

Re: Ticks - Margaret (25th Jun 2019  14:20:22) I would definitely go to Haslemere hospital minor injuries. They are excellent and very caring

Re: Ticks - A (25th Jun 2019  15:29:23) Whip they plaster off ASAP, breeding ground for infection clean throughly and antiseptic try leave air dry creams can often make worse. Agree Lyme on up but still rare. Look out for symptoms and bullseye rash. Plastic tool is super easy and you tube will have a video. Best leave it in rather than risk leaving bits in next time! Everyone has a shitty day, next appointment with dad gp mention it. Small price to pay living in country Good health all

Re: Ticks - Jack (25th Jun 2019  16:02:04) Although you can do this yourself, the potential ramifications of doing this wrong can be serious. If the tick is infected, Lyme Disease is a possibility from a tick. If the infection is not caught early and treated with antibiotics, chronic Lyme Disease can have horrible, long-term effects. I would always recommend a health professional removing the blighter if at all possible. If the classic 'bulls-eye' rash appears around the area of the tick-bite, get straight back to the doctor. The rash doesn't always appear, even with infection, so any signs that may be mistaken for a cold in the next month should also be cause for concern. Sorry to be alarmist, but better to be safe than sorry. Chronic Lyme Disease can be awful.

Re: Ticks - helen (25th Jun 2019  16:15:56) I had this the other day myself in my leg I did remove it myself by hand but there is always the risk I did not get it all out. If there is any doubt the docs should prescribe antibiotics. Feel ok so far fingers crossed!

Re: Ticks - Gilly (25th Jun 2019  17:31:54) Go to any a&e immediately. Do not mess with ticks. We have both had them and been left with nasty complications and we are young and fit. Your GP got this one wrong. I am sorry for you and your Dad

Re: Ticks - DJ (25th Jun 2019  19:32:38) I knew it could be serious, that’s why I was so shocked at them refusing point blank to help! I’ll tell Dad to take off the plaster and let it air dry. Thanks for all your advice

Re: Ticks - JH (25th Jun 2019  19:56:05) When I was little (a long, long time ago) we used to go on holiday in Scotland where sheep wandered around everywhere.My sister and I would come home covered in ticks. My father would soak cotton wool in surgical spirit (or maybe it was whisky) and apply it to the ticks which would curl up and withdraw their claws in a few minutes without any mechanical intervention. I'm not a doctor but it worked for us. Alcohol is a strong antiseptic so it's a harmless remedy - and the ticks die happy!.

Re: Ticks - Carole (25th Jun 2019  21:59:24) Haslemere minor injuries unit 9 to 5 pm

Re: Ticks - [removed] (26th Jun 2019  18:52:12) [editor]January 2021 - This poster has requested that all their contributions be removed from Talkback. Other posts after this notice may no longer flow properly. [/editor]

Re: Ticks - A.R (26th Jun 2019  19:47:25) The ticks are really bad this year. Take a dustpan brush with you to brush them down. Keep checking on your walk. Light coloured dogs are easier. Pet shop in Liphook sells the tools to get them out. But you do need to turn the tool round and round till the head releases. It is quite easy if your dog stays still. No head left to dig out. Best contraption on the market at the moment. I had a tick a few years ago and a Liphook nurse did try to get it out , but with tweezers, not a good idea. Good thing is Lyme's is not a problem in this area, Some areas are worse for it, the New Forest being one of those areas. I wear wellies all year round for this reason if I go up on the commons.

Re: Ticks - James (27th Jun 2019  22:55:38) The nurse at Liphook Village Surgery recently prescribed an antibiotic for my son as a precaution after he picked up ticks while hiking in Scotland. He registered as a temporary patient. Worth a call perhaps?

Re: Ticks - DML (28th Jun 2019  18:04:33) I'm surprised at the doctor to be honest. What might seem a seemingly trivial problem can have very serious consequences if not dealt with properly. I'm in the veterinary profession and we take it very seriously - this is the advice for pet owners - and ticks are quite happy to latch on to anything warm-blooded so the advice hold true for humans as well (I have in the past been asked to remove a tick from an owner rather than their pet!) The person removing the tick should wear rubber / plastic gloves or, in the absence of gloves, protect fingers with tissue or paper. 1 A) If using fine-tipped tweezers: Grasp the tick as close to the host's skin as possible and pull upwards with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick as this may leave the mouth parts embedded, or cause the tick to regurgitate infective fluids. Remove any embedded mouth parts with tweezers or a sterilised needle. 1 B) If using a tick hook remover tool: Slide the two prongs of the tick hook tool either side of the tick’s body until it is secure. Gently turn the tick hook tool either clockwise or anticlockwise and the tick should detach after 2-3 rotations. 2) DO NOT squeeze or crush the body of the tick as its fluids (saliva and gut contents) might contain infective organisms. 3) DO NOT handle the tick with bare hands as an infection may enter through breaks in your skin or elsewhere if you touch eyes, nostrils or mouth. 4) After removing the tick, disinfect the bite site and then wash your hands with hand wash /soap and water. 5) Keep the tick for identification purposes in case you become ill within several weeks. Store the tick in a sealed plastic bag in a freezer and label the bag including the date of the bite. Your doctor can use the information to assist in making an accurate diagnosis. Although not every tick carries Borreliosis or any of the associated infections, the immediate removal of an attached tick is recommended. DO NOT use petroleum jelly, any liquid solutions, or freeze / burn the tick, as this will stimulate it to regurgitate its stomach contents, increasing the chance of infection. This is not trivial - keep an eye out for ANY symptoms and insist your doctor listens to you!

Re: Ticks - Jay (30th Jun 2019  18:12:14) Thanks DML for useful information. I have to say that when I found a tick on me (rather than the dog) it did freak me out and I lost my nerve trying to remove it so went to Woodlands Vets and the nurse kindly removed it for me. Glad you were able to remove it in the end DJ - don't blame you for squealing!

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