If bitten, remove the tick using tweezers or TickEase pulling straight up and away from the skin. Do not twist or squeeze an embedded tick, as that injects the potentially infectious contents of the tick’s stomach into your body!
Save the tick in a baggie and reach out for testing! Tick testing available at Tick Research Lab, IGeneX Lab, TickReport or Bay Area Lyme. Other testing facilities may be found in your local networks. Testing the tick can be the least expensive and best way to know if the tick in question carried diseases. (Note: It takes approx. 3 weeks for results)
Call a Lyme-literate medical doctor (LLMD) and make an appointment. Do not wait for test results. Many have immediate openings for those with a potential new infection. The LLMD will help you weigh the benefit of prophylactic antibiotics. Geography, how long the tick was attached, the season, and the tick’s life stage are factors in determining your protocol for testing, treatment, and re-testing. LLMD referrals:
Always Stay Vigilant. With an early Lyme infection, antibodies may not have had time to develop in your body. Therefore, a blood test at this time may appear negative. You may have Lyme disease even with a negative test result. Monitor your symptoms, learn about Lyme disease and trust your body and your gut instinct.
Do not rely on Urgent Care, your local doctor, or an infectious diseases specialist to treat you. In half of the cases, the current treatment guidelines lead to undertreatment – and chronic illness.
