{"id":4300,"date":"2018-09-24T17:15:01","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T22:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=4300"},"modified":"2024-06-07T14:57:14","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T19:57:14","slug":"ticks-myth-vs-fact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/ticks-myth-vs-fact\/","title":{"rendered":"Ticks: Myth vs. Fact"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tick<\/a>

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Summer is often thought of as tick season, but this is just one myth about these bloodsuckers. Ticks do not die off over the winter, nor do they stop looking for a host. They are on the hunt any time the temperature is over freezing.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for us, nature\u2019s little vampires can\u2019t turn into bats, don\u2019t require a silver bullet to kill or have the ability to suck all of our blood out in a matter of seconds. But they can leave behind diseases that, if left untreated, can affect us for the rest of our lives, namely Lyme disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Ameera Nauman<\/a>, pediatrician with OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony\u2019s Health Center<\/a>, a lot of confusion still surrounds these little arachnids.<\/p>\n

Myth: Once bitten, you are infected.<\/h2>\n

Fact: <\/strong>Not all ticks carry diseases, and the diseases carried by ticks are not spread by merely being bitten. It is estimated that in high-risk areas, only 2 percent of deer tick bites cause Lyme disease. And it is the toxins in the tick\u2019s saliva that causes disease. In order to transmit a disease, a tick needs to be attached from between three to 96 hours, depending on the tick and the disease they are transmitting.<\/p>\n

Myth:\u00a0 You should remove a tick with a heat source or chemical.<\/h2>\n

Fact: <\/strong>\u00a0No. This myth is a home remedy idea for making the tick \u201cback out.\u201d All you need to remove a tick is a pair of tweezers, grasping as close to the skin as possible and slowly pulling the tick away without twisting. Not only can using a heat source be dangerous, it can cause infected saliva to be pushed into the bite increasing the chance for infection. After removal, wash the bite location with soap and water and monitor the location for symptoms.<\/p>\n

Myth: Ticks only carry Lyme disease.<\/h2>\n

Fact: <\/strong>\u00a0While Lyme disease is the most common and well known tick-borne disease, the following tick-borne diseases have also been reported in the Midwest:<\/p>\n