A couple weeks ago my nine month-old son woke up with a tick behind his ear. We were playing in the backyard the night before and I guessed we missed it. I went into full panic mode.
I am terrified of Lyme disease and living in Maryland, though less than a mile from DC, there’s still a decent amount of Lyme infested ticks. If you live in a state with a low population of Lyme infested ticks, you may not have to take these precautions.
But if you live in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic, it’s worth covering your bases.
I researched thoroughly and contacted two different doctors, one who specializes in Lyme. Here is the protocol I came up with.
Remove the tick very carefully.
I took a good pair of tweezer and clamped down as close to my son’s skin as possible. Then I firmly and swiftly removed the tick from his skin. After you do this, make sure the legs are not still in the skin.
There are detailed instructions and even YouTube videos on how to properly remove a tick.
Save the tick in a plastic sandwich bag (or in my case, an extra contact lens case – whatever works to contain the tick).
Thoroughly clean the area.
You can clean with soap and water and/or peroxide. I cleaned it thoroughly with peroxide, a natural anti-bacterial.
After that, if you have it, apply androprahis or comfrey salve. Andrographis is a natural antibiotic as well, and an immune boost. The doctor I consulted recommend comfrey salve; she said it would draw any bacteria from the site.
Send the tick to University of Connecticut for testing.
UConn’s veterinary branch will test ticks for a reasonable fee. We paid an extra $25 for rush results and had them back within two business day. As it turns out, it was only a dog tick on my son. Deer ticks are what carry Lyme and other diseases. Thankfully, the tick on my son wasn’t carrying anything.
Click HERE for UConn tick testing.
Use homeopathy to prevent possible Lyme.
The doctors I consulted with both recommended Ledum 200c to prevent Lyme from taking hold. Luckily, it’s something I keep on hand for cases like this.
I use Joette Calabrese’s instruction on how to administer, you can find that HERE.
Administer immune boosters.
This was something I discussed with both my son’s pediatrician and a doctor who specializes in Lyme. As always, check with your doctor before adding a supplement – especially for children.
This was the protocol both doctors and I came up with.
- probiotics – I use THIS brand for my sons (I give this to my boys regularly)
- fish oil – THIS is the brand I use for my boys, I use this one for myself (I also administer this regularly)
- astralagus extract
- echinacea extract
- cats claw extract
- andrographis (this can also be used internally)
I haven’t added how much because that’s really something that should be discussed with your doctor and will vary based on age and weight.
There you have it!
This protocol at least boosted our little guy’s immune system. We are beyond thankful that the tick testing came back and it was totally innocuous. Not everyone is as lucky.
If you live in a state with a high incidence of Lyme, I definitely recommend taking it seriously and taking precaution.
