I had an unusual visitor to the clinic today when a patient took off his shoes and i noticed something attached to his foot. On closer inspection, I was surprised to see a rather large tick! The patient lived up in the hills surrounding Armadale and was doing some gardening before his appointment this morning. ticks like to sit on blades of grass and branches of bushes and latch onto animals or people that pass by.
They stab their barbed mouths into the flesh of their host and inject saliva into the tissues, which are filled with toxins and can cause serious illness. A mild reaction can result in localised redness, swelling and discomfort. A more severe reaction can lead to bacterial diseases, mammalian meat allergy and even paralysis in smaller animals with certain types of tick. They may stay attached to a host between 3-7 days if undisturbed and eventually drop off when they are full.
What do you do if you find one attached to you?
Don’t scratch it, don’t pull it out with your fingers, don’t use household tweezers, don’t burn it, don’t put nail polish remover on it, don’t put methylated spirits or alcohol on it.
Do seek professional help from your doctor or podiatrist as soon as possible. At Armadale Podiatry, we have the equipment and skills to safely remove any nasty little critters that decide to pay you a visit!
