Hi Everyone: While Lyme net was down, I received an email from a well intentioned person on how to remove a tick. This is the urban legend that you put soap on the cotton ball and touch the tick. The email is prefaced that the method was discovered by a " nurse" for sure safe removal. I have spoken to two friends who are members of lymenet also, who also have received this email floating around. Please inform your friends if you receive this email not to circulate these urban legends and tell people how to handle tick removal and tick checks properly!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I know!!!! I got it last year and now again!! It just sickens me every time I see it!!
I emailed my friend back with the correct info and asked her to send it on.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
somebody contact snopes.com or the Straight Dope guy, or some other widely-read debunking site, and write something aobut this. It's so dangerous potentially.
(sorry, I"m swamped next week and can't do it )
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Another thing, I was linked to a couple different sites and they say it is okay to remove ticks with your fingers if tweezers arent available.
Is this really something we should do?? The sites were contacted and they responded back that it was most important to get the tick off of you,,,quickly as possible.
I always read here to go to ER IF you cant see it,and dont have help. Rather than risk a squeeze and pull job.
I guess I am pretty dense cause unless the tick is real accessible and you have real long fingernails,,,its most impossible to avoid injecting yourself by squeezing them!!
next time to the store I am buying a BUNCH of tweezers,,,but fear they will always be in the wrong spot at the right time!!!
So the verdict to be rendered,,,finger them off right away,,or take small amount of time to find tweezers and remove properly as we know it???askings of --just don--
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
The way I see it don, is that if you are hiking and won't be able to get to tweezers for another day or many hours, I would pull the darn thing out!!
But if it's a matter of an hour [for example] I would wait until I could get to some tweezers.
You're right....we need to stock up!
------------------------ Good idea, Maria!
Posted by tdtid (Member # 10276) on :
I too got this email before my lyme diagnosis but again just this week. The first time, I was oblivious to it all, so had no comment. This time, I got on my ole soap box and started preaching to everyone that this note also go sent to.
With so little accurate information out there on lyme, I cringe when I get some well meaning person thinking they are helping me by sending me something like that. Grrrrrrrrr.
Cathy
Posted by Lymeindunkirk (Member # 7118) on :
I recd the same email. My question, does anyone know if it really works or not?
Posted by tdtid (Member # 10276) on :
Lymeindunkirk,
I am not a doctor, so don't know if it would work, but what I've HEARD is that you will only **** the tick off and he will release even more toxins in you. But putting that all aside, click on the link I gave in the note above yours.
This is a web site that specifically lists all the emails circulating that are NOT true. I would NOT try this method.
Cathy
Posted by iceskater (Member # 8655) on :
I received the apply petroleum jelly and match one EMail too. Sigh, the ignorance in the community about ticks and the lack of knowledge how dangerous they are!!!!!
Posted by jaime1978 (Member # 11786) on :
I got this too.... of course, I did a reply to all and correctly informed them on the dangers of ticks....
i thought it strange and sad that I just got this all figured out, and then all the sudden I get this email, and we all know how fast things get around on the internet.... making so little of it....
Posted by jaime1978 (Member # 11786) on :
skater- funny, the petroleum jelly and match method is what they did to me 20 years ago, to get 2 ticks off my back... and here I am 20 years later, been going down hill fast for the past 10 , because of false information. Glad you brought that one up too...
scary, that as fast as we can try to put the right info out there, just as fast, the wrong info is circulating... it's like technology is a blessing and a curse
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lymeindunkirk: I recd the same email. My question, does anyone know if it really works or not?