What to do if you find a tick on you
You have been playing outside a lot and also with your dog. There are some bushes that the two of you like running through and hiding in and that evening when you bath, you see a red spot on your leg. You do not worry about it, but in a few days time you are getting sick.... you may have been bitten by a tick.
A tick belongs to the same family as spiders and scorpions called 'arachnids'. They attach themselves to their prey's skin and they suck out the blood. Ticks can be found everywhere and there are lots and lots of types of ticks.
You can learn more about different types of tick here.
Sometimes a tick will bite you, you will not even know about it and nothing will happen to you, but some ticks do carry diseases that can be given to humans and make them very sick. Since you do not know if a tick bit you that carries one of these diseases, it is always better to visit the doctor if you have seen a red dot on you and you are beginning to feel sick.
Most tick bites are harmless and don't need medical treatment. But some ticks (like the deer tick, wood tick, and others) can carry harmful germs that cause diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. The deer tick is tiny, no larger than a pencil point.
Most of the time you will not even feel when a tick bites you but if you see any red dots on you and you were playing outside or with your dog, it is best to show your parents right away, so that they know about it and if you get sick they will know to show the doctor.
If you come back from a hike, and you look for any ticks or bites, ask an adult to help you and especially look carefully on your neck, hairline, armpits and groin area. The ticks like to hide where it is nice and warm.
If you find the tick still attached to your skin you would want to remove it. Put the tick in a plastic bag that you can show it to the doctor if necessary. It will be much easier for him to determine what disease/fever you have.
If you find a tick on you, ask an adult to remove it. They must try and grab hold of the tick and remove it in one movement.
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers
Read more here on things you must not do when you want to remove a tick.
If you know you were bitten by a tick and you do get sick, you have to go to the doctor to get some antibiotics to fight off the disease.
If you know you are going on a hike or playing in the bushes, rather wear a long sleeve shirt and pants that you can tuck into your socks. Ticks like living in the shrubs low on the ground where it is easy for them to jump on humans or dogs that pass by.
If you have a dog, make sure you wash him regularly and dip him and look for ticks. If you find any, remove it right away that they will not climb on you and bite you.
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