Ticks - Should we use the twist and pull method to remove them?
What is the best way to remove ticks?
This blog is about my own experience in removing ticks. If you are new to the world of ticks, here are a few home truths based on my own experience. This experience I have had is relevant to the common tick in Brisbane (not paralysis tick or any other tick).
We moved to a region where there are ticks and we came from a region where I never saw a tick in my entire life. One day I was sitting down and I felt a lump under my hair on the back of my head. I don't even remember it hurting but for some reason I subconsciously touched the back of my head because it itched a bit. What I felt was like a soft small mole and the whole area at the back of my head hurt when I moved the tick back and forth (most probably because it was releasing venom). A family member looked and said it was alive and we assumed it was a tick. This one was buried half under my skin and in the back of my head so I got the local doctor to remove it.
Prior to going to the doctor I researched tick removal and most places I visited on the WWW said not to twist the tick when removing it and not to spray on alcohol or such. My doctor sprayed on alcohol and also twisted the tick while gently pulling to get it out. She got the whole tick, head and all. After she removed it she sprayed on a little more alcohol to kill the germs. My doctor is old school and this is how she had always done it.
For the next tick we removed in the household (which was me as victim again), we tried not using alcohol and not twisting and it hurt really badly and would not let go. I got another family member to try and this time we used alcohol (rose cologne) and the tick actually backed out after being doused with the alcohol and it was removed with a twist and pull motion using the tweezers.
The relief was instant and I was very grateful tp have the whole tick gone from my head.
The twist and pull method worked so well and I can't explain the relief to have the tick gone.
My family doctor said she had heard of some smaller ticks letting go and running if given a small squirt of aeroguard but I can't comment on this because I haven't tried it. I have read of some people coating the tick in petroleum jelly before removing (to smother it) but I haven't tried this method either.
Tonight it was my turn to be "tick remover". I took the rose cologne (which is running out) and squirted the tick which had only recently latched on to my family member because it was not yet full of blood etc. I tried the pulling without twisting method, grabbing the tick as close to the skin of my family member as possible with the tweezers and pulled and there was no sign of the tick letting go (and this was a large tick). I tried once more with the same problem so I got more cologne, doused the tick and grasped the head and did the twist and pull firmly and it let go (it actually took me 2 goes). I got the whole tick out head and all then killed it.
If you are new to tick bites, you may need some pain killers and antihistamines after the bite and after the tick is removed especially if the person bitten is a bit allergic. Also the pain and discomfort the day after removal can be nagging. The site of the bite can take about a week or more to feel better or less for some bites. If you don't get the head out you can end up with a pussy sore or an infection if you have bad luck (we have not had this happen yet). I'm going to buy some Aeroguard or Rid brand repellent and keep it in the house for the next tick to see if they let go any faster. Yes, the experts say not to douse them with anything because ticks can release more venom if disturbed but as someone who has removed ticks several times now , I will always use the cologne and twist and pull method using fine tweezers because so far we have quickly removed ticks this way and not had the head left in the bite (we got the whole tick out).
I am not responsible for anyone's experience with tick bites and this is my own experience listed above which I have chosen to share. I am not responsible for any injury to anyone following any of my suggestions and if you have better success with the straight pull method of removing ticks then I wish you well but it has not worked for me at all. This is just my experience which I am sharing and I am not qualified to dispense medical advice nor do I hold myself out to be a medical advisor.
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