[blparent] Finding ticks on kids nonvisually?

[Steve Jacobson]

The ticks I occasionally got when I was a child were usually quite identifiable by touch.  The tick doesn't generally go 
completely under the skin but has a hard part, almost like a shell, on the outside so it almost feels like a small scab, perhaps 
roughly the size of a braille "G".  There are no dots, though, it is generally fairly smooth.  .  If they are there for a while, 
they probably do get tender and may swell some, but that doesn't happen right away unless one reacts particularly strongly to 
them.  There are different approaches to getting them off if one finds them, too, so one needs to investigate that.  When I was 
growing up in the fifties and sixties, the common way was to light a match and then blow it out, and touch the tick with the hot 
head of a match.  The tick was said to relax its grip and come right out.  I suspect this isn't the preferred method now, though, 
but you generally can't just pull them off.  I should add that while it was a little scarey, it didn't hurt because the hard shell 
of the tick didn't transmit the heat.  The point is that one probably should research how best to remove them if they are found.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Tue, 9 Jul 2013 12:41:16 -0700, Lisamaria Martinez wrote:

>From my campy friends, I'm told they can be a little tender at times
>and other times you can't even tell. So I think asking if Austin has
>any tender spots is a good way to start. Otherwise, I do believe the
>ticks will be an unexpected lump under the skin--usually in warm areas
>of the body.

>But perhaps someone who has actual experience can give you better ideas.

>LM

>On 7/9/13, Melissa Ann Riccobono <melissa at riccobono.us> wrote:
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> Our son, Austin, is at a nature day camp this week. He is having tons of
>> fun, but this morning he told me that his counselors told him to have his
>> parents check him for ticks each night when he comes home. This makes sense
>> to me, but I admit this is something I have never done before. Is there a
>> way to check nonvisually for a tick on your child?
>>
>> Thanks for any thoughts.
>>
>> Melissa
>>
>> P.S. We certainly have sighted friends/neighbors who can help with this,
>> but
>> I was curious if this is something Mark and I could do ourselves.
>>
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