Middlesex County South

Lyme disease Actual size of deer ticks How to remove a tick • Don't panic. • Get the tick off; try brushing it off first. • If the tick is firmly attached: Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Use rounded forceps or fine-point tweezers. • Don't touch the tick because fluid can be transmitted through the skin. • Pull upward slowly and steadily until tick lets go. • Don't use home remedies to remove ticks; they don't really work. • A kit is now on the market with a specially machined tool that grasps the tick and pulls it out by rotating it. If you have been bitten by a tick • After removing the tick, put it in a jar of alcohol; write down the date of bite. • With alcohol or Betadine, disinfect the area where the tick bite occurred. • Wash hands thoroughly. • Watch the area where you were bitten for a month. •If mouth parts remain in the skin or a rash develops, consult your doctor and take the tick with you. Some Lyme-disease symptoms • You may get a bull's-eye rash. • Flu-like symptoms may occur — fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle and joint pain. • More severe symptoms may appear involving the heart or nervous system weeks or months later. Information Website: www.lymediseaseassociation.org Lyme Disease Association Inc. P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527 888-366-6611 Source: New Jersey Department of Health