|  | Bites Stings | Tick Bites

What Happens If You Burn a Tick Before Removing It?

Ticks, which are found in brushy vegetation, carry a range of dangerous diseases. These parasites latch on to people or pets and feast on their blood. It is essential to remove the tick from the skin as soon as possible to reduce the risk of infection. Burning a tick is a traditional method of extraction, but there are many reasons why this is not recommended.

  1. Tick Basics

    • Ticks, which can be as small as a poppy seed, attach to the skin with harpoon-shaped barbs. These barbs secrete a special chemical that helps the tick adhere to the skin of its host. This makes these parasites, which generally feed off a host for between 24 and 48 hours, a challenge to remove. Because ticks carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, it is important to save an extracted tick to have it tested.

    Where Ticks Live

    • Ticks tend to thrive in thickly vegetated, brushy areas. They are most commonly found in so-called "transition areas" -- places where there are trees and bushes next to grassy open spaces. People and pets typically come into contact with ticks by brushing up against vegetation, especially tall grass, while on a walk or hike. Because ticks are so small, a person may not realize he has been bitten until hours later.

    Burning Method

    • To burn a tick out of your skin, you either bring a lighted match, lighter or a heated pinhead up to the tick. Exposure to the heat can cause the tick to pull itself out of your skin. However, it does not always work. Sometimes, you may burn part of the tick off at the surface, while the rest of the tick stays inside your skin. Additionally, some people like to burn extracted ticks after they are removed from the body. It is a better idea to save the tick and have it tested.

    Effects

    • According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the burning method is a bad idea, because it stresses the tick. When the tick feels this stress, it may release additional, potentially infected, fluids such as vomit or saliva into your bloodstream. The release of the tick's toxic fluids will increase the likelihood of acquiring a disease or an infection from the tick. The bacteria may be forced even deeper into your skin.

Tick Bites - Related Articles