Ticks are small parasitic organisms that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. When ticks bite and attach to a host, they insert their mouthparts into the skin and begin consuming blood. Ticks can transmit serious diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and babesiosis to humans and animals through these bites. Therefore, it is important to safely remove any attached ticks quickly. One common question is whether you can suffocate or smother a tick to get it to detach from the skin. This article will examine whether suffocating a tick with substances like nail polish, petroleum jelly, or soap is an effective and safe tick removal method.
Can You Suffocate a Tick?
The goal of any tick removal technique is to get the tick to detach from the skin as quickly as possible without aggravating it or leaving mouthparts behind in the wound. Many people try home remedies like applying fingernail polish, petroleum jelly, or soap over the tick to essentially smother it and cut off the air supply. The idea is that this will cause the tick distress and force it to let go and come up for air.
Unfortunately, experts warn against this method. Ticks have a slow metabolism and can actually survive for quite a long time without air. Smothering the tick is unlikely to force it to “let go” and come up for air. One study found that fully engorged ticks can survive up to 17 hours even when submerged in water. Other sources estimate ticks may survive 8-10 hours without oxygen.
So in most cases, smothering the tick is not going to make it detach any quicker. The tick will likely remain latched on until it is ready to fall off on its own.
Dangers of Suffocating a Tick
While suffocating a tick with substances like fingernail polish or petroleum jelly may not kill or detach it, this method carries some risks that you should be aware of:
May Cause the Tick to Regurgitate
When ticks feel threatened or distressed, they may regurgitate some of their stomach contents back into the bite wound. This is problematic because if the tick was carrying any infectious diseases like Lyme bacteria or viruses, those pathogens can now be more likely to spread to the human or animal host.
May Leave Mouthparts Behind
Forcing a tick to detach before it is ready can cause its mouthparts to break off and stay stuck in the person’s skin. This raises the risk of infection and requires extra steps to remove the remaining parts.
Prevents Monitoring the Tick
Covering the tick in an occlusive substance means you can no longer monitor it to see if inflammation or rash develops at the site indicating infection. It also prevents being able to check if the tick’s body is growing in size as it feeds, which is important to note.
Delays Proper Tick Removal
Rather than waste time trying to smother or kill the tick, the priority should be promptly and safely removing it. Suffocating the tick often just delays proper tick removal.
Skin Irritation
Substances like nail polish, nail polish remover, petroleum jelly, rubbing alcohol, and soap can potentially irritate or chemically burn the skin when left on for an extended period.
Proper Tick Removal Methods
Since suffocating or smothering a tick is not recommended, what is the best way to safely remove a tick? Here are the proper techniques:
Fine-Tipped Tweezers
Use fine-tipped tweezers designed for splinter removal to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull straight up slowly and steadily without twisting until the tick releases. Avoid squeezing or crushing the tick’s body.
Tick Removal Tools
Special tick removal tools like the Tick Twister or O’Tom Tick Twister work similarly to tweezers. These tools grasp and lift the tick out straight.
Protect the Bite Site
After removal, clean the bite site with soap and water or an antiseptic. Apply antibiotic ointment or cream.
Dispose of the Tick
Stick the dead tick in a sealed plastic bag or in alcohol to dispose of it. Never crush the tick with your fingers.
Wash Your Hands
Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after handling any ticks. You can also use hand sanitizer.
Can You Freeze a Tick?
Along with smothering, some other methods like freezing are sometimes brought up for killing or paralyzing ticks to aid removal. Here is a look at whether freezing ticks with substances like liquid nitrogen, compressed air, or ice packs works.
Liquid Nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is extremely cold at -320°F (-196°C). Some sources claim freezing ticks with a small amount of liquid nitrogen applied directly to the insect can help detach it. However, liquid nitrogen would essentially burn and damage your skin very quickly at the temperatures required to freeze the tick. This makes liquid nitrogen application unsafe and impractical for tick removal.
Compressed Air Sprays
Canned compressed air sprays designed for cleaning electronics or dusting equipment are sometimes used to try and freeze ticks. However, these air dusters only reach temperatures around -30°F (-34°C). This cold blast may slow down or immobilize the tick briefly but will not kill it. The low temperature is also unlikely to make the tick just detach on its own.
Ice Pack Application
Applying a wrapped ice pack directly over the embedded tick is another freezing idea some people try. However, this method takes a very long time to significantly lower the temperature of the tick. Experts estimate it can take well over an hour of ice pack use to even begin to immobilize the tick. Leaving an ice pack on the skin this long can also cause tissue damage and frostbite to the person.
Can You Burn a Tick?
Using flame or heat to try and force a tick to disengage from the skin is also not recommended. Here is why burning should be avoided as a tick removal method:
High Risk of Accidental Burning
It is extremely difficult to apply a direct flame or heat source like a heated needle precisely only to the tick without also burning the surrounding skin. Even using fire briefly near the skin is risky.
Increases Infection Risk
Heating the tick may cause it to regurgitate infectious fluids into the bite wound or leave destroyed mouthparts behind.
Causes Tick Distress
Burning is essentially torturing the tick, which is inhumane. Causing any animal distress also makes them more likely to spread pathogens in self-defense.
Only Way Is to Burn the Person
The tick’s body temperature closely matches the host’s body temperature while feeding. The only way to raise the tick significantly hotter than 98.6°F (37°C) would be to also seriously burn and damage the person’s body in that area.
Tick Bite Prevention Methods
Rather than waiting to figure out how to remove an embedded tick, it is ideal to prevent tick bites altogether when possible. Here are some tick bite prevention measures you can take:
Avoid Tick Habitats
When hiking, camping, or in wooded areas, stay in the center of trails and avoid tall grasses and shrubs where ticks quest for hosts.
Use Repellent
Use EPA-approved tick repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin and treated clothing. Reapply as directed.
Wear Protective Clothing
Wear long sleeves, pants tucked into socks, and closed toe shoes when outdoors. Choose light colors to spot ticks easier.
Perform Tick Checks
Check your whole body thoroughly for ticks after being outdoors. Pay close attention to warm areas like the groin, armpits, and scalp.
Shower Soon After
Showering within two hours of coming indoors can wash off unattached ticks. Doing a tick check during the shower is recommended.
Talk to Your Vet
Ask your veterinarian about tick prevention products for your pets like collars, spot-ons, shampoos, or oral medicines. Dogs and cats can bring ticks indoors.
Conclusion
In summary, trying to kill, suffocate, freeze, or burn a tick is not recommended for removing an embedded tick from your skin or your pet’s body. These methods are either ineffective or increase the risks of infection, skin damage, and mouthparts getting stuck in the wound. Always use proper tools like tweezers or tick removal devices to detach ticks and immediately clean and disinfect the bite after. Prevent tick bites by taking protective measures when in tick habitats. Speak to your doctor if any rash, fever, or other symptoms develop after a tick bite so you can get tested for possible tickborne diseases. Be tick smart and stay tick safe.