A wasp sting is not uncommon during outings in nature, walks in the park or trips out of town. With the onset of warm days, stinging insects and people intersect more often, the risk unpleasant situations increases. Children often suffer from wasp bites: curiosity forces them to explore many areas where striped aggressors live.

How dangerous is a wasp sting? What to do if anaphylactic reactions develop? Adults and older children should know first aid for insect bites.

Characteristic symptoms

After a sting, certain signs are noticeable on the body:

• swelling;
• red-pink tint of the epidermis;
• skin itching;
• throbbing pain;
• when the eyelid is stung, the facial tissue becomes very swollen, the eyes are practically invisible due to noticeable swelling, and hemorrhage often occurs in the conjunctival area;
• in children and women, symptoms from an insect bite are more acute;
• a sting on the tongue causes severe swelling not only of the affected area, but also of the mucous membranes of the mouth and larynx, and the person suffocates.

With increased sensitization of the body, anaphylactic reactions develop:

• pronounced swelling;
• redness of the affected area;
• pale skin;
• nausea;
• severe itching;
• the victim wheezes, an attack of suffocation is observed;
• hemorrhage in the eye area;
• loss of consciousness;
• soreness in the chest and abdominal area;
• a sharp decrease or increase in pressure;
• heart rhythm failure.

There is no escape from being around wasps. Simple rules will reduce the risk of attack by stinging insects.

How to proceed:

• do not approach wasp nests, do not try to destroy them or knock down the “ball” from a branch or bush;
• do not make sudden movements in bushes, near trees, where a wasp’s house may be located;
• when preparing sweet preparations, protect the windows with a mosquito net;
• when eating fruits, berries, watermelon, melon, grapes, carefully monitor whether a wasp/bee has landed on the aromatic product;
• when detected in a private home or on personal plot wasp's nest call professional exterminators or destroy the dense “ball” using traditional methods. It is important to act carefully and minimize health risks.

Such a nuisance as a wasp sting can happen to anyone. It is important not to get confused, to remember what to do in such a situation. Competent actions, knowledge of first aid techniques, and storing antihistamines and ointments against insect bites in the first aid kit will reduce negative consequences after being attacked by a stinging insect.

First aid for a human bite: what is the danger of such a bite? What should you do if you are bitten by a person?

Is a human bite dangerous?

Let's start with the fact that bites humans are actually as dangerous as bites from numerous wild animals. Sometimes human bites are considered even more dangerous. Their main danger is based on the possibility of infection with certain infectious pathologies that the attacker suffers from. This can be either viral hepatitis, HIV infection or tuberculosis. Such bites are also dangerous because they can provoke the onset of suppuration of the affected area. First aid when bitten by a person, it involves thoroughly washing the affected area running water, as well as applying a sterile bandage to the wound, as well as treating the affected area with disinfectants such as alcohol, iodine, brilliant green and others. If you cannot even imagine what the health condition of the person who bit you is, then immediately consult a doctor.

In terms of prevalence, human bites rank third. The leading positions are occupied by cat and dog bites. In most cases, bites are inflicted by children during play or a fight. Sometimes very significant bites are the result of love pleasures. Quite often people who help patients with convulsions or epileptic seizures are also bitten.

A human bite is considered to be as dangerous as an animal bite, or even more dangerous. This fact is explained by the fact that in oral cavity The biter may experience an accumulation of certain viruses or bacteria. According to statistical data, it is human bites that in most cases become the cause of the development of certain infectious complications. In addition, with such a bite it is easy to become infected with hepatitis IN And WITH or the herpes virus. The most complex and most common form of bite is considered to be “ clenched fist injury", which is the result of a fight during which one person hits the other in the teeth. As a result, damaged skin of the finger joints appears on the face. This kind of wounds, as a rule, tend to become inflamed, causing blood infection. Plus, with such bites, dislocations or fractures of the finger bones are often observed.

First aid for a human bite

If you are bitten by a person and end up with skin damage, then:

• Wash the wound very well with plenty of soapy water.
• Cover the affected area with a bandage made of clean cloth or a handkerchief, this will help stop the bleeding.
• Use one of the disinfectants and treat the affected area. This can be either an alcohol solution of iodine, brilliant green or hydrogen peroxide.
• Apply a bandage using a sterile bandage.
• Seek help from a specialist doctor in order to prevent the development of certain complications ( It is especially important to do this if you are one hundred percent sure that the person who bit you is sick with something.).

A chapter from the book “Do It Yourself First Aid: If the Ambulance Slows” by physician James Hubbard is published with the permission of the publisher.

TEST

A young woman sat on the examination couch with a frowning expression. During her lunch break, she went outside and saw a squirrel. She decided to hand feed her, lured her in, and she grabbed her finger. Fearing rabies, the woman consulted a doctor. What should you do in such a situation?

A. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water as soon as possible.
B. Check with your local health department to determine which animals in the area may carry rabies.
B. Treat the squirrel as a domestic animal, and not a wild animal.
D. Don't worry too much: healthy squirrels usually don't spread rabies to people.

ANSWERS

A. Correct. It is necessary to wash the wound thoroughly. Most often, bites are dangerous not from rabies, but from a bacterial infection. Thoroughly cleaning the wound will remove many germs and viruses, including rabies viruses.

B. Correct. By calling your local health department, you may be able to save money on a rabies vaccine - or find out that without the vaccine, your risk of getting sick is too great.

B. Incorrect. I can guarantee that you are aware of this. At least I hope so. And be sure to tell your children about this - warn them about any wild animals. They must understand that sometimes even dogs and cats behave unfriendly.

G. Correct. Any animal can have rabies, but when the animal is sick, it usually becomes weaker. (Raccoons are one exception.) Additionally, when small animals become ill, they usually quickly become prey to larger animals. In other words, the animal is unlikely to run long enough to pose a danger.

HOW TO PREVENT THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEM

Any bite is fraught with bacterial infection. It is clear that we are all afraid of poison, rabies and other diseases. However, most often problems arise due to infections affecting the skin and soft fabrics. Therefore, it is vital to wash the bite area with soap and water and keep it clean.

Of course, it is better to avoid bites. So protect yourself from insects with an insect repellent like DEET or another favorite insect repellent, such as citronella oil, lemongrass oil, geranium oil, neem oil, or clove oil.

Apply insecticidal repellent to your pet as well. Wear long sleeves and tall boots, with your pants tucked into your socks or left on top but wrapped around your legs to help protect against snakes and ticks. Watch your step and don’t put your hands in holes and cracks. If mosquitoes are a problem, place mosquito nets on your windows, doors, or bed.

The venomous snakes of the United States are pit vipers and coral snakes in a number of varieties. Pitheads have thermoreceptor pits on the sides of their heads, located between the nostrils and eyes. Their heads are triangular and their pupils are elliptical and slit-shaped. Common pitfall species include rattlers, copperheads, and water copperheads.

Coral snakes have round pupils and yellow, red and black rings on their bodies. They can be confused with some species of striated kingsnakes, which are non-venomous (they suffocate their prey). There are ways to tell them apart, but they don't always work, so it's best to stay away from all three.

HOW TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BITTE BY A POISONOUS SNAKE

A bite from a non-venomous snake usually leaves only a series of small scratches from its many teeth. After a poisonous snake bite, there are also one to four fang punctures left (and a little later, new punctures may appear on the skin). The bleeding in this case is much stronger, since the fangs penetrate deeper into the skin, and the poison promotes hemorrhage.

If poison is injected into the wound, swelling will occur in the bite area within 10–15 minutes. It is not always pronounced, but sometimes it is so strong that it completely blocks blood circulation in the affected limb. If this happens, a small incision may need to be made (ensuring sterility) to restore blood supply.

Other indications of a poisonous snake bite:

• sharp and often burning pain soon after the bite;
• metallic taste in the mouth or numbness of the tongue;
• tingling sensation or sweating.

Tingling and sweating can also be caused by hyperventilation due to anxiety. If you are unsure about the cause, slow your breathing or breathe into a paper bag for one to two minutes. This usually relieves symptoms caused by anxiety - but not the poison.

HELP

If you have been bitten by a snake and you are not sure that it was non-venomous, you need emergency medical care: action snake venom It is well blocked only by anti-snake serum.

True, there is not always a need for serum. In approximately 20% of cases, a poisonous snake does not inject venom into the wound at all, and only in 20% of cases does it inject it in such quantities that it poses a danger to life. However, you still shouldn’t sit idly by: if the serum is needed, its rapid administration can save a life.

Knowing what kind of snake bit you can help doctors (if you get to them) determine if the serum is needed, but don't spend a lot of time searching and finding out.

And remember that Even a dead snake can bite: Snakes can strike a distance of half their body length, and their striking reflex can persist for 90 minutes after death (and even after decapitation). A good compromise is to quickly photograph the snake. Just don't scour the tall grass looking for the offender.

Consider how much effort it will take to get medical help. On the one side, physical activity may contribute to the spread of poison throughout the body. On the other hand, if there is a need for serum, it would be good to get it.

If you have a long journey ahead of you, consider air transport. In the meantime, you can stop the spread of the poison by applying an elastic bandage, but do not use a tourniquet! Experts have different assessments of the effectiveness of this measure - there is a version that an elastic bandage, by holding the poison in one place, thereby increases its concentration and increases the risk of tissue damage. If you take this step, wrap the bandage tightly and cover the entire limb. Check the bandage regularly and loosen it if it is blocking blood flow (if you can't feel a pulse in your wrist or leg).

By immobilizing the muscles, you will further stop the spread of the poison. Therefore, if your leg is bitten, apply a splint, and if your arm is bitten, apply a bandage. This is according to at least will prevent the muscles near the wound from pumping the venom into the rest of the body until you receive medical attention and access to the serum.

It’s another matter if medical help is not available, then you need to act differently:

• Sit or lie down depending on your symptoms. If you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, this may indicate low blood pressure. At the same time, shortness of breath can be caused by pulmonary edema, which can be alleviated by taking a sitting position. In general, take the position in which you are most comfortable.
• Keep the bite area level with your heart. If you place it lower, it will contribute to swelling, and if higher, it will increase the flow of poison into the rest of the body.
• Take pain medication if you have it.
• Drink as much as possible. When bitten by poisonous snakes, hemorrhage in the tissue can lead to severe dehydration. In addition, blood vessels begin to bleed, which contributes to dehydration. If intravenous fluid is available, use it.
• Wash the wound and keep it clean.

This video explains why snake venom can and should be sucked out:

Snake bites can cause allergies:

Snake venom, like venom from bees, spiders, ants and other animals, can cause an allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Its symptoms - shortness of breath, rash, lightheadedness - appear within a few seconds or minutes after the bite, followed by serious breathing difficulties, shock, loss of consciousness and even cardiac arrest. Whatever the reason, an urgent injection of adrenaline is necessary (for example, epinephrine or EpiPen - some allergy sufferers carry this medicine with them). And, of course, emergency medical care is required, if available.

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Do not apply a tourniquet. By stopping blood circulation, you create a threat to tissue. In addition, if you completely concentrate the poison in one place and then loosen the tourniquet, there will be a sharp release of poison into the body. This is more dangerous than when the poison spreads slowly.

SPIDER BITES

There are three species of spiders in the United States that are dangerous to humans: the brown recluse spider, the American wandering spider, and the black widow. Often the culprit goes unnoticed, and the only evidence of a bite is the action of the poison, and each poison has a specific effect: from the symptoms it is clear which spider bit.

Brown recluse spiders love their privacy. They hide under rarely used boxes, sheets on the bed, and generally under anything that hasn't been touched for at least a few hours. At first, the bite causes little or no pain. Only after a few hours does serious itching begin.

Signs

The first sign of a brown recluse spider bite is a painful black dot where the venom is killing skin tissue. It can occur within a few minutes or several hours after the bite. There is a chance that the bite will not cause you much harm, but sometimes the tissue lesion becomes deeper and wider, up to 10 cm in diameter. The temperature may rise and general health may deteriorate.

Complications

Gradually the dead skin will peel off. If the lesion is deep, the wound may not heal for weeks. As with any wound, there is a risk of infection. Some wounds are so severe that they leave noticeable scars. In some cases, skin grafting is required.

Treatment

You can relieve pain with cold compresses. If you apply ice, make sure it is wrapped in a cloth and remove it every 10 minutes to avoid overcooling the skin. Sometimes the pain can be quite severe, in which case you can take a painkiller.

Clean the wound once or twice a day. If dirt may get in, apply a bandage. Just don't try to remove thick, dark scabs of dead skin. Let it peel off on its own: this way you won’t damage the healthy skin nearby. If there are signs of infection, antibiotics may be needed.

AMERICAN WALKING SPIDER

The bite of the American wandering spider is similar to that of the brown recluse spider, but usually causes less (if any) damage to the skin. It is not easy to identify this spider: its appearance varies. If you have broken skin and find a spider and it is not a brown recluse spider, then you have most likely been bitten by an American Stray Spider. The treatment is similar.

BLACK WIDOW

The black widow often lives under parapets, verandas and woodpiles.

Signs

A black widow's bite feels like a slight burn or a needle prick, or even not felt at all. Skin damage is usually minimal. Sometimes only the marks of two tiny fangs indicate a bite - if you can find them.

After some time (from several minutes to several hours), severe muscle pain and cramps begin in the abdominal cavity, limbs, chest and back. If you don't suspect a bite, you may not recognize the cause of your symptoms. Moreover, the consequences of such a bite can easily be confused with a heart attack, appendicitis and other serious problems. If you have the slightest suspicion, consult a doctor immediately.

Sometimes the pressure rises very strongly. Nausea, vomiting and sweating may also occur. Convulsions and even death occur, but are rare. These bites are less well tolerated by children and the elderly.

Antitoxic serum: pros and cons

When people talk about “antidotes” and “antitoxic serums,” they mean drugs that contain antibodies against certain poisons. Serum is a kind of chemical special forces that neutralizes toxins. It cannot correct damage already done to the body, but it prevents further damage. The earlier it is administered, the less the risk that the poison will have time to affect the organs. So why not give it to anyone who gets bitten by spiders or snakes?

• It can cause a sudden and deadly allergic reaction - anaphylactic shock or serum reaction. The latter means fever and soreness for several weeks.
• It may be difficult to obtain. Since 2013, this has been the case in Florida with a serum against coral snake venom. The bite of a coral snake is deadly, and therefore the serum was administered to all those bitten. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to catch enough snakes to milk them and extract the venom for the serum.
• She's very expensive. The amount can be tens of thousands of dollars.

However, the serum can save your life. After a bite, it is best to immediately contact a medical facility. You will be examined and if signs of serious damage are detected, serum will be administered.

Help

Cold compresses on the bite site will help relieve pain. Muscle relaxants, painkillers and warm baths for the site of cramps are also indicated for these purposes. The pain usually ends within a few days. Sometimes serum is given - most often to children and the elderly.

MAMMAL BITES

An animal bite can damage not only the skin, but also muscles, blood vessels, nerves and even bones. Bruising may occur. In addition, when a bite occurs, germs always enter the wound, so it must at least be disinfected. Do the same as with puncture wounds.

In medical settings, wounds from such bites are usually not closed unless they are too extensive. But even in these cases, the doctor’s decision is subjective, since when the wound is closed, the risk of infection increases.

In general, the larger the animal and the more powerful its jaws, the greater the tissue damage and the greater the risk of infection. However, there are some exceptions. For any bite, it is advisable to seek medical attention.

CAT BITES

Cats have very sharp teeth that penetrate deep into the skin without causing much external damage. A cat's mouth usually contains a nasty bacteria called Pasteurella multocida, which can cause a quick and dangerous infection. The sooner you start taking antibiotics, the better. Oral antibiotics that help against Pasteurella multocida include amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin, Amoxiclav), cefprozil (Cefzil), cefuroxime (Ceftin) and azithromycin (Sumamed, Azitrox, Zithromax ").

BITES ON THE HAND

There are many small veins and muscles on the hand; moreover, the hand receives more energy than other parts of the body. less blood to help fight infection. Therefore, no matter the size of the animal, a bite to the hand is fraught with serious infection.

Clean the wound thoroughly and start taking antibiotics if available. The antibiotics listed in the previous section are good for both staph infections and infections caused by cat bites. But, as with any infection, they may or may not work.

BITES OF RABID ANIMALS

Cases of rabies in the United States are rare, but they do occur, and the disease is fatal and incurable. There is a vaccine against rabies, but it must be used before symptoms appear. Getting vaccinated against rabies in advance makes sense for trainers of certain animal species, speleologists and travelers traveling to countries where rabies is common. In this case, the vaccine is administered three times. People usually don't worry until they are bitten by a suspicious animal. Symptoms can appear a few days or a month after the bite. Their appearance means that you have waited too long.

If you are bitten, contact a medical facility, animal control office, or shelter and try to find out if an animal of that species may have rabies in your area. If there is such a danger, it is necessary to get a rabies vaccination. If the animal can be captured, it is a good idea to isolate it for 10 days to see if it shows signs of rabies. Just don't try to catch it yourself: you risk getting additional infection.

Bat bites are always dangerous. In some regions, rabies is common among raccoons, foxes and skunks. There are even known cases of rabies in rabbits. When it comes to pets, unvaccinated cats pose the greatest risk, but you should also be wary of unvaccinated dogs and ferrets.

Help

Cleaning and disinfecting the wound will significantly reduce the risk of contracting rabies. You need to rinse very thoroughly and intensively. The following liquids should be used for flushing (listed in descending order of preference):

• povidone-iodine (Betadine);
• 2% benzalkonium chloride;
• soap and water;
• clean water.

It has been proven that these substances eliminate most of the rabies pathogens and significantly reduce the risk of infection.

If you need to bury an animal that may have died from rabies, and professional help is not available, you will need a mask, gloves, and a shovel to handle the animal. If possible, wear a waterproof apron, safety glasses and a mask. Spray the corpse thoroughly with a 10% (or even more concentrated) solution of chlorine in water. Dig the grave at least half a meter deep to prevent other animals from digging it up. If you have plastic, cover the animal with it before throwing dirt on top.

How insidious is bat rabies?

Bats are very useful. They eat tons of insects. However, some bats are infected with rabies. Sometimes people become infected with rabies from them even when, it would seem, there were no bites or scratches. The fact is that the small and very sharp teeth of these creatures are capable of piercing the skin without leaving a noticeable wound on it.

Therefore, if you have had contact with bats(let's say one of them touched you, or you slept in the same room with a bat), get a rabies vaccination. There have been cases when people in similar circumstances became infected with rabies without noticing a tiny wound.

BITES OF BEES, WASPS AND FIRE ANTS

Bees, wasps and fire ants inject venom that can cause deadly allergic reactions - even if you haven't previously suffered from allergies. The bee may leave a barbed stinger and a sac of venom in the wound, which will continue to release venom even in the absence of the insect. Remove the sting as quickly as possible. The wasp sting does not have any serrations - the wasps fly away, taking the sting with them.

Here are some remedies that can relieve pain and itching from bites:

• Cold compress (just remember to wrap the ice in a cloth). Instead of ice, you can take another cold object - for example, a bag of frozen vegetables or an aluminum can of a soft drink. Remember that after 10 minutes the compress must be removed.
• Baking soda paste with water
• Cloth soaked in vinegar
• Baking soda and vinegar mixture
• Moist tobacco.

There is usually no need to take medications by mouth. The exception is following cases: redness and itching intensify; there are many bites; there is swelling or urticaria; I've had allergic reactions before. In these situations, you can take an antihistamine for several days - for example, diphenhydramine, Suprastin or one that “does not cause drowsiness” (Claritin, Zyrtec). A steroid like prednisone will also work.

Disinfect the bite site and keep it clean to prevent infection from entering the wound. Fire ants often leave blisters of liquid - don't touch them, just keep them clean.

ANAPHYLAXIS

Anaphylaxis is a deadly allergic reaction. It can also occur after a bite from an insect, spider, snake or other animal. It can also be caused by medications or food. Generally speaking, almost anything can cause a severe allergic reaction in one person or another.

SIGNS

These symptoms may occur some time (from several minutes to two hours) after contact with the allergen:

• hives or blisters anywhere on the body;
• swelling of the face, tongue, throat;
• difficulty breathing;
• loss of consciousness due to decreased blood pressure;
• tingling in your arms and legs or a strange taste in your mouth.

HELP

In case of an anaphylactic reaction, the patient needs urgent help.

• Call immediately ambulance, if possible.
• Administer adrenaline (epinephrine); For this purpose, EpiPen is available by prescription. For an anaphylactic reaction, nothing helps better than adrenaline. Anaphylaxis is possible even in cases where such a reaction has not previously been observed. Therefore, consult your doctor - he may write you a prescription for an EpiPen for emergencies.
• Take a lying position. During an anaphylactic reaction, your blood pressure drops, and lying down will increase blood flow to your head and heart.
• An antihistamine - for example, diphenhydramine (Benadryl, diphenhydramine), Suprastin, Tavegil - does not always help, but if there is no doctor nearby, then it’s worth a try. Another option is a steroid (prednisolone, Dexasone, hydrocortisone). If possible, use both.
• If breathing is difficult, try inhaled albuterol (salbutamol), which is often prescribed for asthmatics.
• If you have previously had an allergic reaction to a sting, you should consult an allergist and get tested: perhaps a series of injections will reduce the allergy and the severity of the next reaction. This is a very useful prevention. Don't put it off.

The bite may not look as scary as a dog bite, however, the consequences can be very sad - even fatal. About how not to get confused in difficult situation and what to do before the ambulance arrives, says the host of the “First Aid” project of the “Doctor” TV channel, resuscitator Alexey Starkov.

How dangerous is a tick?

The tick feeds on blood: animals, birds, humans - and transmits diseases. The most dangerous one is . This disease affects the central nervous system, causes paralysis of the limbs and can lead to death. The key factor here is time. How formerly tick detected and removed, the less likely it is to become infected. Even if it happened, timely assistance will save the person.

The most dangerous months during the tick season are May, June, and July. Traditional areas of distribution of encephalitis are Siberia, the Urals, Far East, but you can get infected in the North-West region, and in the Volga region, and, of course, in the Moscow region. Every year in Russia about 10,000 people become infected tick-borne infections. These diseases have been well studied, and with timely detection and proper treatment, doctors give optimistic forecasts.

How to get a tick?

If you need to help a person who has been bitten by a tick, you should try not to crush the tick when removing it. It must be carefully removed (preferably with rotational movements) using tweezers, thread, napkin or special device. When removing a tick, it is not recommended to squeeze it out and it is highly undesirable to crush it yourself so that the contents of the tick do not get into the wound.

Many sources recommend adding a drop of oil to prevent air from entering the wound, making the environment uncomfortable for the burrowing mite. But, as a rule, people do not have the patience to wait for the moment when he begins to try to crawl out of the wound. In addition, many authors believe that the anatomy of the tick does not allow it to move backward - it only moves forward. Therefore, a drop of oil is an ambiguous recommendation.

I advise you to remove the tick from the wound as soon as possible, for which the easiest and most accessible way is to use a loop made of regular thread. You need to put it as close to the skin as possible - in the place where the tick is embedded, and try to remove the arthropod from the wound with rocking movements. You can use tweezers or just a napkin, but be very careful in terms of crushing, do not apply strong pressure so as not to crush the body of the tick.

In addition, I would like to point out that in lately appear quite effective means, designed specifically for removing ticks from wounds. If you are going to an area where it is possible to pick up a tick, it is worth getting such a thing.

After removing the tick, the bite site should be treated with an alcohol-containing solution. After removal, it makes sense to place the tick itself (no matter whether it is alive or dead) or its fragments in a humid environment for subsequent analysis for encephalitis and Lyme disease (borreliosis). The analysis must be carried out within two days. The victim needs to be examined by doctors, who, if necessary, will prescribe treatment.

Summer is coming very soon - the season of relaxation, walks and picnics. But it is in nature that vacationers can be in danger - ticks. They can not only ruin your vacation, but also infect you with infections, including viral encephalitis. NTV talks about what to do if you are bitten by a tick.

Read below

How dangerous is a tick?

The tick poses the greatest danger because of what it can carry: dangerous infections. The most common of them are encephalitis and borreliosis. The infection is transmitted during a bite through saliva, which is injected into the human body.

In nature there are also so-called pure ticks that do not carry any infections. However, without the participation of specialists and a laboratory, it is impossible to determine which tick bit you.

What to do if you are bitten by a tick?

It is necessary to remove the tick from the surface of the skin as soon as possible. It is best to do this in an emergency room, and immediately send the tick to a special laboratory in order to find out whether it is a carrier dangerous diseases or not. However, if you cannot quickly go to a medical facility, you will have to remove the tick yourself.

Remember that the tick does not burrow immediately: it can remain on the skin from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. It is during this time that it can be detected and carefully removed without crushing it with your fingers. If you are bitten by a tick, under no circumstances should you pull it out, only carefully twist it out.

How can I remove a tick?

You can remove a tick by different means. For example:

using special tweezers. It is similar to a two-pronged fork: the tick must be squeezed between two teeth, and then carefully twisted. Using such a device, the tick’s body is not damaged, which means the risk of contracting infections is reduced. You can also use regular tweezers or a surgical clamp.

fingers. This method is considered less secure, but if not special means, then you can quickly remove the tick with your hands;

thread. Choose a strong thread that will not break when removing the tick.

Photo: TASS / Boris Kavashkin

How to properly remove a tick?

1. It is necessary to grab the tick with tweezers or fingers wrapped in clean gauze as close as possible to its mouthparts (that is, the bite site). Holding it strictly perpendicular to the surface of the bite, turn the body of the tick around its axis and remove it from the skin.

If you remove it with a thread, then tie a knot (loop) close to the tick's proboscis, and remove it by slowly swinging and pulling up.

2. The bite site must be disinfected. For this, 5% iodine, alcohol (a solution of at least 70%), brilliant green, and a solution of hydrogen peroxide are suitable.

Photo: TASS / Smityuk Yuri

3. After removing the tick, you should wash your hands with soap.

4. If after removal a black dot of any size remains under the skin, this means that the head or proboscis of the tick came off during the extraction process. The bite site should be treated again with 5% iodine. The remains of the tick should come out on their own.

If this does not happen, you need to treat the affected area of ​​skin with alcohol. Then heat the needle over a fire, also wipe it with alcohol and carefully remove the remains of the tick in the same way as removing a splinter.

Be careful - not the slightest particle of a tick should remain under the skin.

5. After being bitten, you should consult a doctor. According to statistics, out of 10 ticks, 1 is infectious, and according to appearance infected and not infected are no different. The doctor will check to see if you successfully removed the tick and will give you a referral for a blood test, which can be taken 10 days after the bite. It will show the presence or absence of tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis in the blood.

Important to remember!

When removing a tick, you should never use oil; it will not only prevent it from being removed, but will also clog its respiratory openings, and the tick will die while remaining in the skin.

Photo: TASS / Bushukhin Valery

What to do after extraction?

If the tick is dead, it must be burned or poured with boiling water. If he is alive, then he can be taken to a special laboratory, where he will be examined for the presence of tick-borne encephalitis.

How to protect yourself from a tick bite?

To avoid putting your health at risk, try to cover your entire body when going outdoors. Don't forget about appropriate shoes and hat. In addition, vigilance will help protect against tick bites: examine yourself and your loved ones every hour, spend special attention open areas body, hair, bends of elbows and knees.

Remember that outdoor recreation is not always fraught with danger. Follow our simple recommendations, be attentive to your health and the health of your loved ones.

What to do if you are bitten by a tick: simple recommendations from NTV