What should I do if I get bitten by a tick?

A pharmacist shares advice on what to do after a tick bite.

Inside Ford’s Family Pharmacy & Wellness Centre in Moncton, N.B., there’s a shelf dedicated to tick-prevention and removal – items that pharmacist and owner Peter Ford says are becoming more popular as tick bites rise across the Maritimes.

“I think we’ve done 12 cases so far,” said Ford. “I think maybe last year we did two, so it’s been pretty prevalent and they’re even in people’s gardens.”

Ford says many clients remove the tick before coming into the pharmacy but it’s not as simple as just brushing it off your arm or leg.

“Get a nice pair of tweezers or you can get a tick remover, which kind of pinches the tick,” he said.

“You want to get the whole body out intact because that’s how we evaluate whether or not it’s a Lyme tick or not, or a deer tick, and how long it’s been feeding by the size of the belly of the tick itself.”

Ford says people need to preserve the tick in a jar, bag or vial so that it can be inspected to determine the proper treatment.

“The bullseye rash is not always present,” he said.

“Sometimes it’s absent, like of the 12 that we’ve done I think I’ve only seen the bullseye rash once, so it’s not always that common.”

Fever and flu-like symptoms are tell-tale signs of infection, said Ford. He said they monitor patients and prescribe doxycycline as necessary. The pharmacy follows up within 24 to 48 hours to make sure no other symptoms arise.

“It’s a single-dose treatment and that prevents the Lyme but we have to get it within three days of the bite,” said Ford.

Ford says it’s important for people to do a full inspection if they’re near the woods, or even just outside. He says ticks are small enough to miss but people can look for a red dot – like a pimple – and any black colouration surrounding the area.

James Donald of Hiking NB and Paddling NB says he tries to get out on the trail or the water at least twice a week. He said he’s seen more people with socks wrapped over their pant legs for protection. Both he and his wife have experience with ticks.

“She went through the whole shots, treatment and everything and then we were actually at a hike summit down in Nova Scotia, which they’re actually a lot thicker down there in the southern part of Nova Scotia, and I had my first tick experience there.”

Ford said the pants he wears now are treated with the tick repellant permethrin.

“The problem is, when you’re in long grass and things are touching your legs and stuff, that’s kind of where they hang out and then they grab on and hold on and try to climb into any nook and cranny they can find on you.”

According to the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association “your overall risk of developing Lyme disease after a high-risk tick bite is approximately three per cent and the tick needs to be attached to your skin for more than 24 hours to transmit the bacteria.”

The association also says clothes should be put in the dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes or in a hot wash cycle to help kill off any ticks. It also recommends having a shower or bath to rinse away any that might not have attached yet.

Ford says it’s also important to check pets. He says you should check with your pharmacist if you’re using preventative sprays or oils to make sure they are safe for every member of the family.

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