Tick Talk: What To Do If You’re Bitten

I’ve spent eight years studying holistic treatments for Lyme disease. As most of you know, I follow an approach that I call Magnets and More. Lyme is a complex disease, and it makes sense to treat it through a variety of ways, including detox, gut health, energy clearing and magnets. I love watching my clients heal – body, mind and spirit!

In case you’ve missed my posts on Cleansing and Detox Practices, Supporting Gut Health and Immunity, and Emotional Grounding, Embodiment, and Containment you can come up to speed on my approach and receive some helpful ideas and resources to deepen your healing. 

Prevention Is The Best Medicine

Let’s focus on preventing tick bites:

• Strong-smelling, essential oil insect sprays work well. Reapply often.
• Be cautious about Deet and permethrin but use ‘em if need be! 
• Dress appropriately, wearing long pants/sleeves if in a high risk area.
• Do a tick check immediately after spending time outside time.
• Throw your clothes in the dryer for 40 minutes on high.
• Shower and scrub down.

Grab Your Tweezers

So, you’ve done everything right, but you have done your check and found one. A tick.

• Grab the tick by the head with your tweezers, as close to your skin as possible, and pull straight up and out. If in a delicate area, use the Q-tip removal method.
• Consider saving the tick and sending it for testing (https://www.tickreport.com/).
• Use a therapeutic grade clove essential oil directly on the bite area 2-3 times a day until any redness or itching disappears. The oil will penetrate the skin and help kill any pathogens transmitted through the bite.
• If you have no symptoms and you have a strong immune system, live a clean lifestyle, and have no history of tick-borne infection or chronic infectious illness, you can simply monitor yourself over the next few weeks.
• If you are dealing with a previous history of tick-borne infections, are immuno-compromised or have a chronic illness, please schedule an appointment for a scan and possible treatment.

Got Lyme?

If you develop symptoms and feel fatigued, achy, have swollen glands, and/or there’s a significant immune reaction at the bite site – a bulls-eye rash or red/purple swelling, get checked out! You can come and see me for a scan and treatment, or if you prefer the allopathic method:

• Have your doctor run a Western Blot blood test (skip the ELISA due to its unreliability) to see if any Lyme bands are positive. 
• Follow detox and cleansing strategies, as well as supporting your gut and immune system.
• Magnets and More – what more can I say?

Should I Take Antibiotics?

If you’re symptomatic and/or have a positive Lyme test, a 4-6 week course of antibiotics will be recommended by your GP. Use of antibiotics is a personal decision that involves many factors (your historical response to them, general overall health). Trust your instincts. Choose without fear. In addition to antibiotics:

• Take 1 tsp. twice a day of colloidal silver to reduce antimicrobial resistance and persister bacteria. 
• A Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic will help keep good gut bacteria in balance.
• Schedule additional magnet treatments to move you beyond the acute phase.

Preparation is important, absolutely. And so is enjoying your life and this beautiful Earth. It’s so important to live in fullness, to experience your life and activities joyfully. Ticks aren’t the enemy and they aren’t worth ceasing to enjoy your life! Ticks are a nuisance that can be prepared for and managed. If your health is generally sound, take precautions and have a blast! If your health is compromised, give thought to your wellbeing, be prepared, and have a plan of action that you implement immediately upon discovering a tick on your body. 

And know that I’m here. I’m prepared and I have a huge amount of tools, resources and knowledge to support your healing. 

Summer comes once a year – let’s all enjoy it!