05/16/2017
DON'T PUT PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL ON A TICK!
There is a viral video circulating that shows a dangerous method of getting a tick to pull off: putting a drop of peppermint essential oil on it. I've seen variations with other essential oils, as well as grandma's old suggestions of nail polish or Vaseline to smother them. These practices can aggravate the tick and make it vomit the contents of its stomach into the bite wound, greatly increasing the odds of causing a disease! Please share this info if you know someone who forwarded that viral video. I'll put links in the comments with more info on what to do. Peppermint essential oil has over a hundred practical, helpful uses--just not this.
This image of removing a tick with tweezers by its head, is from the CDC. You can also get tick removal tweezers for a low price on Amazon, if you prefer.
I know they're gross, but let's talk ticks for a minute. Lyme disease is serious & getting more common. This is supposed to be a really bad year for ticks, due to the mild winter we had. Let's look at safe repellents; proper method of tick removal if you do find one on yourself, your kid, or your pet; and what to do after the fact.
After a tick is removed safely, the CDC lists several options, but for me, I mark on a ziploc bag with a sharpie: the date of the bite, who was bit, location of the tick bite on the body. Then I keep that in the freezer in case it needs tested later. You can also add a moist cotton ball to the bag to help preservation, but no rubbing alcohol.
Full instructions on tick removal here:
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html
Here's the link for where to send that preserved tick for free testing:
http://www.bayarealyme.org/lyme-disease-prevention/tick-testing/
CDC recommends fully cleaning the bite wound after safe tick removal. If it were me, I'd use doTERRA On Guard Foaming Hand Soap because On Guard is the protective blend & at that point, we could use all the extra protection we can get. Google On Guard essential oil blend & PubMed to see studies showing its benefits. Then I'd probably use some combination of essential oils with coconut oil on the bite wound to help cleanse and protect: maybe my roller ball combo that I call the "Immune Bomb" blend of On Guard, oregano, melaleuca, and frankincense with FCO. I'd reapply that several times a day, for quite a while after the incident.
Some recommend the prophylactic antibiotic treatment after every tick bite; others recommend it only if the tick has been on there a long time--some say 8 hours, others say 24 hours. Consult a Lyme-literate doctor
Also, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. doTERRA TerraShield essential oil blend is safe for kids as well as adults, and for your dogs. It comes in a regular essential oil bottle or in a convenient spray bottle for ease of application, and it is in a base of coconut oil so it's ready-to-apply. This blend works well to repel things that bite including ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, flies, etc. Some research suggests that these other biting insects can transmit Lyme disease as well, not just ticks. TerraShield is safe and effective--and it smells great!
Here's a news link featuring TerraShield for tick repellent.
http://www.fox21online.com/2017/05/03/battling-tick-bites-with-essential-help/
Friends don't let friends buy essential oils on Amazon or eBay. There are no authorized dealers on there & many of them are fakes or adulterated. It's not worth the risk. If you don't already have someone helping you get your essential oils, please let me help you. I'd be happy to set up a time we can chat (over coffee if you're local to Teays Valley, or over phone or we**am if not) and go over your health goals & help come up with essential oil solutions custom for your situation. Message me for more info. I take care of my customers with essential oils continuing ed & support. ❤️
remember that absence of a rash doesn't mean you're in the clear. Also, not all Lyme manifests in bulls-eye pattern. Always be on the alert for flu-like symptoms after a tick bite and get checked out for Lyme, if so.
