Many people find an embedded tick and remove it using whatever method is easiest and don’t give it a second thought. I know several people with different tick-bone diseases. Some of them were treated quickly and recovered. Others have lifelong conditions. One is in the fight for her life. Because of my experience watching people battle tick-borne disease, I believe it is important to share information on tick bites and tick-borne disease.
Ticks can carry several diseases – not just Lyme – and these diseases can transfer quickly. It was once believed it took 24-48 hours of attachment for disease to transmit, but we now know that some diseases (such as Powassan virus and Rickettsia rickettsii can transfer in only 10-15 minutes. (2, 3) Concerning Lyme, the minimum attachment time for disease transfer has never been established. (4) Yet steps can be taken to decrease disease risk or catch it early.
If I find a tick embedded, I remove it as quickly as possible. Never twist the tick, burn it, or apply essentials oils, duct tape, or alcohol. Aggravating the tick causes it to regurgitate as it backs out, which increases the risk of tick-borne disease. (1) Watch this video to see how to remove a tick. I keep a Tick Removal Tool in my travel first aid kit. I can get a better grip on the tick with the Tick Tool than I can with tweezers, but I pull straight up instead of twisting.
Next, I clean the area with soap and water. You could also choose to disinfect it with colloidal silver, alcohol, or diluted essential oils. I don’t use hydrogen peroxide just because it damages the healthy skin cells. Once the area is clean, I apply a drawing salve. Earthley’s Black Drawing Salve is made with activated charcoal and bentonite clay to draw out toxins. It also has lavender EO for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is safe to use on ages 6 months and up. When you’re ready to take it off, wipe it off with a soapy cloth. You could make your own poultice with activated charcoal, which is easily found in stores.
I don’t like waiting around to see if we contracted a tick-borne disease, so I start a prophylactic protocol right away. I give homeopathic ledum 200c according to homeopath Joette Calabrese’s instructions, which are one pellet after the bite and one pellet 12 hours later. Astragalus supports the immune system and decreases inflammation in the immune molecules that B. burgdorferi attack, and it supports the adrenals and stress response. (6) I begin astragalus, echinacea, and elderberry and continue for a few days to support the immune system. Personally, I use Earthley Elderberry Elixir and Earthley Feel Better Fast for this.
Lastly, I send in the tick for testing. Some people choose not to do this if they have been bitten by multiple ticks and/or cannot afford testing. Some people choose to put the tick in a zip lock bag and freeze it while waiting to see if they develop any symptoms. I choose to test it because tick-borne disease can lie dormant, and it’s more easily treated when caught early and give me peace of mind. I like to send our ticks to Ticknology because it is $40 per tick. They test for 9 tick-borne diseases, including Lyme. Tick Report is another great option. Their $50 test covers 7 tick-borne diseases, and they identify the type of tick and how much it fed. Tick Report also offer tests that cover 18 diseases, but these cost more.
Unfortunately, Alpha-Gal Syndrome cannot be tested for in these tick tests. Alpha-Gal Syndrome occurs in some people after being bitten by lone star ticks. It is an allergy to a sugar found in red meat and products made with red meat (certain medications, gelatin, some vaccines). So far, nearly every tick we have encountered at our home in Missouri has been a lone star tick, so Alpha-Gal is a concern, especially as we know someone in our area who has developed this syndrome. I have read a promising study of relieving Alpha-Gal with acupuncture, so if anyone in our family develops this syndrome, we will be making some trips to our acupuncturist.
So far, all of our tick tests have come back negative for disease. If we ever got any positives or developed symptoms, I would be making an appointment with our naturopathic doctor to start homeopathy and herbs. Herbs can be powerful against fighting bacteria, including the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, B. burgdorferi. In fact, one study suggests that Japanese knotweed is more effective in killing B. burgdorferi than the antibiotic doxycycline. (5) Japanese knotweed can be taken as a tincture or capsules. If you aren’t comfortable with functional medicine, a doctor from ILADS would be beneficial. You can find an ILADS doctor here. Unfortunately, the CDC and IDSA are only beginning to recognize chronic Lyme and are slowly recommending similar treatment as ILADS, but not all doctors are knowledgeable about this.
We definitely won’t let ticks stop us from enjoying our sunshine and blue skies or our hikes through green, leafy woods. Taking precautions and having a plan of action in place empowers us to know what to do when the need arises. If you’d like ideas on preventing a bite before it happens, read Tick Prevention.
Have you ever tested a tick and received a result positive for a tick-borne disease? What did you do?
Have you ever been diagnosed with a tick-borne illness and successfully recovered? Share your story in the comments!
Sources:
1. https://lymediseaseassociation.org/lyme-tbd/prevention/tick-removal/
2. https://danielcameronmd.com/long-take-infected-tick-transmit-lyme-disease/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278789
6. https://projectlyme.org/herbal-remedies-for-lyme-disease/
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