Wellness Wednesday: Tips to Prevent Tick Bites

Kinetiq Health has started a new series called, Better Health in 90, to bring you health tips in 90 seconds or less from our expert clinical team.

In this Better Health in 90 video, Kinteiq Health Pharmacy Benefit Practice Lead Erin Albert, PharmD discusses what to do before and after going outdoors this summer to prevent tick bites.

Read on for more information!

Tick exposure can occur any time during the year, but ticks are most active during the summer months. The summer months are when we spend the most time outdoors as well.

Ticks live in tall grassy or bushy areas, or even on your animals. They could be living in your backyard or on your pets!

Read below for tips on how to prevent tick bites from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

When You Go Outdoors

• Treat clothing and gear – Spray outdoor clothing with products containing 0.5% permethrin to kill or repel bugs. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and stays protective through several washes.
• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents – Not all insect repellents are the same. According to the CDC, you should use a repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone. Be careful to not use products containing OLE and PMD on children under 3-years old.
• Avoid contact with ticks – You can try to avoid ticks by avoiding the areas where they live. They thrive in wooded or brushy areas with tall grass. Try to walk in the center of trails or through terrain that you can see the ground.

After You Come Indoors

• Check clothing for ticks – Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing. If the clothes need to be washed, washing in hot water is recommended.
• Examine gear and pets – You’re not the only one who can bring ticks into the house – your gear and pets can too! Carefully examine both to make sure they’re clear of bugs.
• Check your body for ticks – Fully scan your body when returning from a potentially tick-infested area. Common places for ticks to latch onto are: under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, back of the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs and around the waist.

For more information on specific insect repellents, check out this guide from the EPA.

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