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SearchTick season is back. An emergency medicine physician talks about how to keep an eye out for those little critters and what to do if you get bit.
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CLEVELAND - Tick season is back, and if you enjoy spending time outdoors, it’s important to keep an eye out for those little critters.
Christopher Bazzoli, MD, emergency medicine physician with Cleveland Clinic, said they can carry all kinds of diseases.
“They can carry Lyme disease, which is transmitted by the deer tick. We also have Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is transmitted by the dog tick. It’s not just in the Rockies,” said Dr. Bazzoli. “And then we even have illnesses caused by ticks that aren’t necessarily from things like a virus or protozoa, things like alpha-gal syndrome, where people bitten by tickets actually become allergic to a protein in red meat."
Dr. Bazzoli said ticks are typically found in wooded areas or places with tall grass where they can crawl onto their prey.
To help avoid being bit, he recommends using tick repellent and wearing long sleeved, light-colored clothing.
You can also tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants.That way the tick can’t get to your skin.
If a tick does wind up biting you, he said it’s very important to make sure you properly remove the tick.
The best method is to use a pair of tweezers.
“When we go to remove a tick, we’re not doing anything wild like burning a tick off, we don’t need any heat, anything like that. Simply get a good pair of tweezers, you’re going to go where the head is attached into the skin and you’re going to pull straight up. So nice simple movement, nice steady pressure,” he advised.
Dr. Bazzoli said once you remove the tick, be sure to wash the area with soap and water so it doesn’t get infected.
You should also be on the lookout for any symptoms like a fever, chills, aches, pains and rashes.
If they become severe, it’s best to seek medical attention.
And don’t forget about your pets. They can also get bit by a tick.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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