Although ticks are minute in size, they can bite you. Most of the time their bite are painless and do not show any major signs. However, tick bites can develop a red bump on your skin, cause swelling, and in some cases can change the color of the skin in the bitten area.
So, if you are looking to know what home remedies you can use to treat tick bites, you have come to the right place. This article will try to explain how to treat tick bites using the materials that are often found in your house. Let us look into this together.
1. Clean The Area
When you are bitten by ticks, the first thing you need to do is to clean that bitten area. You can use soap and lukewarm water to wash the wound as this will prevent possible infections. Gently rub the soap on your skin and try to produce as much lather as you can to cover the whole area of the mark left by the tick bite.
Cleaning the bitten area with soap and water is easier and the most effective remedy for tick bites. Additionally, this will help to remove dirt, bacteria, or any toxins that the ticks might have released on your skin.
After cleaning the tick's bite, you can apply an ice cube, ice pack, or a cold compress over that area of your skin. The ice will help to lower the swelling and relieve your pain.
You can apply an ice pack for around 15 minutes every hour if the swelling has not been recovered. You can put a cloth or a thin towel between the ice pack and your skin to minimize the coldness of the ice. Do not use an ice pack for too long in a single time, as this might have some implications on your skin.
3. Vinegar or Lemon Juice
Another home remedy for tick bites is apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. This might be available in your pantry most time of the year. Vinegar and lemon juice have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties which can prevent infection and reduce swelling respectively. In addition, the odor of vinegar repels the ticks from coming near to you.
You need to dilute the vinegar by mixing it with an almost equal amount of water. Then, use a cotton ball to dip into the vinegar solution and apply directly over the bitten mark. Make sure you keep it for 10 to 15 minutes and apply it a few times a day.
Aloe vera gel is another best remedy for treating tick bites. Aloe vera plant is one of the most common plants in most gardens or backyards. Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that are known to reduce swelling on the skin and reduce redness and itching caused by tick bites.
You can cut the leaf of aloe vera in the middle and scoop the gel with a spoon or knife. Then, directly apply over the bitten mark and keep it for a few minutes. Apply 2 or 3 times a day to get good results. This will heal your wound and also keep your skin moisturized.
5. Baking Soda Paste
Baking soda paste is another home remedy that can be used to reduce the pain, itching, irritation, or swelling caused by tick bites. Baking soda has a higher pH value and is alkaline. This thus helps to neutralize the acidic toxins of the tick.
You can make the paste by mixing the baking soda powder with water until it forms a thick mass. Then, apply the paste directly over the wound and keep it for at least 10 to 15 minutes before washing it. Try using lukewarm water to rinse off the baking soda paste.
6. Tree Tea Oil
Tree tea oil might be another remedy for tick bites. This essential oil has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that reduce swelling, irritation, and infection on the skin. This oil can also kill ticks and can be used as a tick repellent as well.
You need to dilute tree tea oil with a carrier oil (vegetable oil like coconut, olive oil, etc.) before using it. Then use a cotton ball to dip into the oil and apply over the bitten mark. Avoid using this in excess amounts and do not ingest it as it might cause some health implications.
Honey is another great way of treating tick bites at home. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that help reduce swelling and prevent further infection respectively. This will also expedite the healing process and keep the skin moisturized.
You can apply honey directly over the bite mark and cover it with a cloth or a bandage for around 15 minutes. You need to leave this for a few hours and wash it with lukewarm water. Raw honey is much better than processed or filtered honey for good results.
Lavender oil is another essential oil that can be a home remedy to treat tick bites naturally. Lavender oil is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and relieves from the pain and swelling. This oil can also help to repel ticks away.
You need to dilute lavender oil by mixing it with carrier oil. Then use a cotton ball to absorb some of this solution and apply this mixture over the bite mark. You can use a lavender oil mixture a few times a day if the swelling is not reduced.
9. Witch Hazel
Witch hazel is another great remedy for tick bites that acts as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agent by reducing swelling and preventing the risk of infection. This can also soothe the skin and speed up the recovery of the wound.
You can use a cotton ball to soak the witch hazel solution and apply it over the bite mark. You can also pour this on your hand and gently rub it over the skin to get relief from the pain and swelling. You can use this a few times if the swelling does not disappear.
10. Turmeric Paste
Turmeric is another effective remedy to treat tick bites. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory characteristics that reduce the swelling of the skin. In addition, acts as a healing agent, helping to expedite the recovery of the bitten mark. Turmeric also helps to repel ticks.
It is easy to make turmeric paste. Just mix turmeric powder with some water until it becomes thick enough to stick to your skin. Then, gently apply this paste over the bitten mark for about 10 or 15 minutes. You can then wash off the paste with lukewarm water.
11. Garlic
Garlic has anti-bacterial characteristics and is a natural antibiotic. It helps to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system of your body to prevent bacterial infection. Garlic can also be used to repel ticks.
You can crush the garlic to make a paste and directly apply it over the skin or wrap it in a clean cheesecloth and apply. In addition, you can squeeze the juice of garlic, mix it with coconut oil, and apply it over the bitten mark. You need to leave it for around 10 minutes and then wash gently with warm water.
12. Onion
Every kitchen has onions. Onion too has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agents. This helps in reducing the inflammation of your skin and preventing infection.
You can cut the onion into several pieces and crush them to make a paste and apply it over the affected parts of your skin. Just like in garlic, you can also mix onion with a carrier oil to increase the effectiveness of the remedy and soothe your skin. You can rinse off the onion paste after 10 to 15 minutes by using warm water.
Neem oil has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and can help to reduce itching, prevent infection and minimize swelling. You need to do a patch test before applying it. This way you could get an idea of how sensitive your skin is to neem oil. Applying neem oil to sensitive skin is not desirable.
You need to dilute neem oil before using it as some people with sensitive skin might get skin implications. Mixing neem with carrier oil is a good choice. If the swelling and irritation have not been reduced, you need to use this 2 or 3 times a day to get a good result. Rinse this with warm water after a few minutes.
14. Avoid Scratching
Most of the time, the bite of ticks are harmless. However, sometimes you might get itching or irritation from tick bites, which do not last for too long. So, the wise thing to do is avoid scratching as this spreads bacteria and germs which might increase the risk of infection.
Scratching will increase the chance of bacteria getting into the wound, increase irritation and swelling on the skin, and lower the healing rate. So, avoiding scratching is one of the measures that can help you to get over the tick bite more quickly.
Epsom salt has magnesium in it which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and reduces the swelling and itching on the affected parts of the skin. It can also draw out fluid from the affected part adding in your relief.
You can add about two cups of Epsom salt to the warm water in a tub. Let the Epsom salt dissolve and take a bath for 10 to 15 minutes. This will reduce the inflammation, and itching, and relax your body. Do not forget to rinse off the excess Epsom salt with warm water after taking after getting soaked in the tub.
When To Seek For Medical Help?
As we discussed in the text above, the swelling, itching, and other symptoms of tick bites usually disappear with home remedies. However, some people have very sensitive skin and these home remedies might not be able to act effectively. In such cases, you need to visit the local clinic or hospital immediately.
If the flowing situation arises, get medical attention as soon as possible:
Severe Allergic Reaction: Most of the time, the allergic reaction will be mild, however, a severe form of allergic reaction that causes swelling of the tongue and throat, dizziness, rashes, etc.
Intense Pain and Swelling: Sometimes, you might feel weakness in your body, severe pain, swelling, etc. Swelling might indicate that the allergic reaction has spread throughout your body.
Signs of Infection: If there is an increase in redness, warmth, swelling, and pus on the skin bitten by ticks, this might be a sign of infection.
If you have come this far, you might have some ideas on how to treat tick bites at home. But, before you start treating, you need to be sure if you are bitten by a tick.
To identify ticks and their bite marks, you need to look into some key features that will help to distinguish a tick. These are some of the things that you need to look into:
Body Shape
Ticks belong to the anarchinds family which includes creatures like spiders, scorpions, etc. The body of a tick is flattened and oval in structure and leather-like appearance. You can see a hard shield-like inflexible structure on the back of the tick's body, which is larger in the make tick and can cover more than half of its body size.
Unlike other members of its family, ticks do not have a segmented body and their head and abdomen look like they are fused in a single entity. They have a special feed tube which can suck the blood of their host.
Legs
Adult ticks have eight legs. These legs are flexible and have claws or hooks which help them to remain attached to their hosts. The legs are a bit hairy and have sensory organs on the first pair of legs that help them detect their host based on parameters like temperature, carbon dioxide, and humidity.
Color
Ticks can be brown, reddish brown, and black. Their color helps them to avoid predators by providing a camouflage that can blend well with soil, rocks, etc.
The effects of various tick species differ greatly. The patterns and markings on ticks' bodies vary from one species to another, which helps us distinguish them. For instance, the American white tick has a white marking on its body, while deer ticks are reddish brown.
Behavior
Ticks are parasites that do not fly and jump. They detect their host by the temperature or vibration and then crawl onto the body of the host to suck up its blood. They have a tube-like feeding structure that can poke or burrow in the host's body and stay attached for several days.
Ticks can suck the blood of their hosts in all stages of their lifecycle, i.e., larvae, nymphs, and adults, and are capable of transmitting several diseases.
Habitat
Ticks are found in a wide variety of habitats, depending on where their host lives. They are found in caves, woodlands, burrows, wood piles, grasslands, etc. However, one thing is common in all ticks and that is they prefer a humid environment as they can dry out in warm or hot environments.
