12 Spots on the Body Where You’re Most Likely to Find a Tick

The tick season is there, And he already promises to be rough. The United States has seen the largest number of emergency room visits reported for tick stings since 2019, according to recent centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Recent estimates suggest that more than 31 million people in the United States are bitten by ticks each year. The rates of diseases transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme disease and the spotted fever of Rocky Mountain, have more than doubled in the past two decades – resulting from the rise in temperatures, the use of land and other factors.

But getting a tick bite does not necessarily mean that you will get sick. Most tick bites do not lead to the disease and the majority of diseases transmitted by ticks can be avoided by the early elimination of tick, according to research.

“Frequent tick controls are important because they help prevent infections such as Lyme disease, which can cause serious long-term health problems if they are not captured early,” said Bobbi PRIT, MD, director of the clinical parasitology laboratory in Mayo Clinic and spokesperson for the College of American Pathologists, Health.

In this spirit, Where should you pay additional attention on your body when scanning ticks? Here is what you need to know where ticks like to go out – as well as what to do if you find one on your body.

Ticks transmit diseases to humans by feeding on the blood of infected animals and by contracting pathogenic bacteria, viruses or parasites. Then when they nibble on the blood of their next victim, they can inject pathogen into the new host.

In the United States, at least 17 human diseases are caused by many species of ticks. The disease transmitted by the most common ticks – in the context of almost 80% of the diseases transmitted by ticks at the national level – is Lyme disease, A bacterial infection that can cause fatigue, headache and rash.

Less known diseases of ticks include:

• Babesiosis, A parasitic disease that infects red blood cells
• Tularemia, Potentially serious bacterial disease that can be treated with antibiotics
• Anaplasmosis, A bacterial infection that causes pseudo-grapple symptoms
• Apha-Gal syndrome, A rare allergy to red meat, developed after being bitten by a tick

The percentage of infected ticks varies from 0 to 50% and largely varies depending on the location. For example, black leg ticks, which are mainly in the southeast of the United States, are rarely infected.

Some pathogens, such as the Powassan virus, can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes, while a tick must be attached for several hours – in some cases, 24 or more – to transmit Lyme disease. “Finding and withdrawing a tick quickly can stop the infection before the start,” Said took.

Ticks do not fly or jump. Instead, they hang on to vegetation with their rear legs and reach their front legs, while waiting for a host to brush, said Charlotte Mao, MD, a pediatric doctor of infectious diseases and member of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation.

When this happens, they are transferred to the host – say, you or your dog – then “crawl and climb in different places on the body to finally tie and bite,” said Mao Health.

Ticks can be hidden everywhere in your body, such as your chest, shoulders, ankles, your wrists and your feet. But they “often prefer Hot body areas Where there are folds of the skin or where clothes press the skin, ”said Mao.

According to a 2020 survey, 722 deer ticks that were attached to people, most of them – about 16% – were found on the thigh, followed by size, stomach and groin. The remaining eight points were:

• Along the upper back
• On the scalp
• On calves and tibias
• Along the arms
• Behind the knees
• In the armpits
• Along the neck
• Around the lower back

In children, ticks tend to bite their head and neck. For what? Children are more likely to play and roll in the grass, said Mao, and their heads are closer to the height of the vegetation.

The lonely star Star, which lies in the Eastern, South-East and South-Central United States and can transmit germs such as Ehrlichiosis and heart virus disease (but not Lyme disease), is aggressive and tends to bite quickly on the lower half of the body, such as the leg, thigh or area of ​​the groin.

Dog ticks, which can transmit diseases such as anaplasmosis and babesiosis and are generally found in the east of the rocky mountains, prefer to climb up and bite the head or neck, adds Mao.

The American Department of Agriculture recommends bathe or shower within two hours to return to the interior after hiking, walking, camping, gardening and picnic. This will help you find or eliminate persistent ticks, because it is generally a few hours for a hollow tick and finds the skin to bite, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

To check the ticks, use a hand or full length mirror to scan your whole body, Including your armpits, your navel, your ears and your hair. You can also ask a friend to help (especially with these difficult to reach areas such as your scalp or back). Certain ticks, such as black legs, are tiny and can looks like a sesame seed, said Mao.

Tick ​​stings are more easily identified when the tick is still attached to the skin while feeding, Chantal Vogels, PHD, assistant professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases) at the Yale School of Public Health, says Health. The goal is to catch and remove the check before it is filled with your blood, says the NIH.

Like other bug bites, a tick bite generally causes a red bump. In general, tick bites are not painful, while the bites and bites of other insects generally cause pain. Sometimes, however, a tick bite can cause local swelling, itching, blisters and bruises.

If you find a tick locked on your skin, it is crucial to take Immediate action. Here is what to do:

1. Decide your Deletion method: A pair of tweezers, a tick removal device or your fingers.
2. To input As close to your skin as possible.
3. Slowly pull up and far, Remove the whole check in one piece.
4. If part of the tick, like the mouth, breaks and remains housed in your skin, Remove these parts, Also.
5. Clean the bite With soap and water or friction alcohol to avoid infections, said Vogel. (Do not use oil jelly, heat or other chemicals to clean the bite, which the CDC warns may wave the tick and push the infected fluid and in your body.)
6. Tick By rubbing it in the toilet, by exciting it in adhesive tape, placing it in a sealed container or by soaking it in alcohol. (Do not crush the tick between your fingers.)
7. Check additional ticks, Stressed vogel.

One thing that the CDC says you should not have the pathogens tested. Indeed, a negative result can give you false assurance, and a positive result could cause unnecessary concern, since this does not necessarily mean that you will get sick.

It’s always a good idea to Watch yourself for symptoms– like a rash or a fever – after a tick bite. With Lyme disease, a rash from Bullseye will appear about a week after the bite.

If you notice something unusual, contact a doctor and indicate them when the bite has taken place and where you were exposed to the mark, said Vogel. Early treatment with antibiotics or anti-parasitic drugs can improve your prognosis and prevent serious illnesses.

Finally, the best way to prevent diseases transmitted by ticks is to Avoid tick bites in the first place. In addition to checking ticks, wear clothes treated with permethrin and use insectors. “Prevention is better than treatment,” said Vogel.