MEDICAL MOMENT: DEALING WITH A TICK BITE

15 Aug MEDICAL MOMENT: DEALING WITH A TICK BITE

Telluride Inside… and Out is proud to feature the Telluride Medical Center’s MEDICAL MOMENT, a weekly column that answers common medical questions in pop culture. Have a question for the doctors? Click here to send.

Dr. Paul Koelliker answers this week’s question:

“HOW DO I DEAL WITH A TICK BITE?”

Ticks are arachnids that bite through the skin of animals and feed on blood. Most ticks do not carry diseases and most tick bites do not

Paul Koelliker, MD

need medical care. The tick should be removed taking care to remove all of the tick including the head and imbedded mouth parts.

To remove the tick, grasp the tick near its head with fingers (gloves preferred) or tweezers and pull the tick straight out in a semi-slow steady fashion. Try not to squeeze the body of the tick, burn the tick or smother the tick with petroleum jelly  because these methods may increase the likelihood of infection.

Wash the bite area with soap and water and apply antibiotic ointment to the bite area. Have your tetanus updated if you are not current.

Seek medical care for fever, headache, nausea, muscle aches or rashes. Tick borne illnesses include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, Ehrlichiosis, Relapsing Fever, Colorado Tick Fever, and Babesosis.

Tick borne infections are less common in the mountains of Colorado than in other parts of the country and most tick bites can be managed at home.

Editor’s note: The Telluride Medical Center is the only 24-hour emergency facility within 65 miles. You can choose your own medical provider visit with a specialist or take advantage of their Mountain Skin Care services.  As a mountain town in a challenging, remote environment, a thriving medical center is vital to our community’s health. For more Medical Moments on TIO, Click Here.