Tick Bites in a Survival Situation (Part 2 of 2)

In this second article on Thick bites in a survival situation will focus on after being bitten and what to do. It will also cover Lyme disease and give you a checklist of what you need in your bug out bag to be ready for Tick bites.

I’ve been bitten by a Tick, what now?

Once a Tick as a tight grip on your skin, you have to remove it as soon as possible. If you just came back from your travels, don’t worry, infections usually take between 24 and 36 hours to be transmitted by the Tick. So if you remove it quickly, you’ll be ok.

Use tweezers and grab the tick as close as the skin as possible. Grasp firmly and pull gently until the Tick comes free. Do NOT twist or turn when pulling on the Tick.

As soon as you have removed it, wash with soap and water and disinfect your skin with alcohol. It helps to apply a topical antibiotic like Polysporin.

The University of Manitoba made a great video on how to remove a Tick. Watching It will help you be prepared in doing it correctly.

What is Lyme disease?

You got bitten and did not react quickly enough or you are starting to see a “bull’s-eye” rash on your skin. You may have been transmitted the Borrelia bacteria present in a Tick’s saliva. This puts you at risk of contracting Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is an infection caused by Tick bites. The bacteria are transmitted to humans by the Tick’s saliva. This disease is a slow progressive illness that starts with rashes, fever and feeling tired to some paralysis, severe joint pain and headaches with neck stiffness and heart palpitations. Some patients even showed memory loss. This is a serious illness and measures to prevent it are required.

Today, getting a good diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease is simple, as your health professional will be able to make the right conclusion and prescribe the correct treatment.

In a survival situation, where doctors aren’t available, treatment is not as easy to come by. The most common treatment for Lyme disease is with an antibiotic: doxycycline. A 10-21 days treatment is usually what is given to a patient diagnosed with Lyme disease. In any case where a Tick has held in place for more than 24 hours, a 200mg single-dose of doxycycline is often given as a preventive measure.

So what do I need to be prepared?

The following items will help you prevent, remove, and properly treat any Tick bites. Having them in your bug out bag is a major advantage. Most of these items will also be useful in many other survival situations.