what on earth is on my leg?

[dugweb]

I just got out of the shower and noticed this thing on my leg. It wasn't there yesterday.

It looks like a mole, but it's only connected at one little narrow part (the red part in the picture). I gave it a few good tugs to see if it would come off, but whatever it is is on there pretty good.


picture

I just got back from a vacation to belize. I don't know if I could have picked up a bug or something there... I don't even really know what to search for information.

edit: it's about the size of the number '0' printed on a keyboard key.

 

[BeauJangles]

tick tick tick

 

[KingGheedora]

Definitely looks like a bug. It's glossy (and fat with your blood), and I can see some legs. It could be a tick or something. Maybe you should go to the doctor and make sure you don't end up getting some kind of disease.

 

[dugweb]

okay, thanks for the info... a tick seems to fit the description. Now to get it off of me -_-

 

[silverpig]

A cigarette should take care of that quite nicely

 

[CalvinHobbes]

Use alcohol to smother it (use a cotton ball) or touch it with something hot like a match stick that was just blown out.

 

[conorvansmack]

+1 on the tick idea. Once it's off you, keep the little bastard in a plastic bag and clean the hell out of the area. See a doctor and take the little parasite with you. There are two types of ticks here in the US: one that carries Lyme Disease (look for the bullseye) and one that doesn't. Since you were in Belize, they may want to examine the little f*cker.

F*ck ticks. I hates 'em.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Tick. Get a pair of tweezers, grab it around the head and pull out.

 

[xboxist]

Don't take chances when there is a FREAKING BUG BURROWING INTO YOUR BODY. Rip it out first if you must, but then make sure to show it to a doc and maybe test for an infection or disease.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: xboxist
Don't take chances when there is a FREAKING BUG BURROWING INTO YOUR BODY. Rip it out first if you must, but then make sure to show it to a doc and maybe test for an infection or disease.

DO NOT RIP IT OUT. If you try, you'll only tear the body, but the head will still be inside. You need to bring it out via smothering or via burning. Smothering, I'd imagine, is preferable.

 

[Kipper]

Twist, don't pull. I've removed many a tick and pulling tends to separate the body only with the head left there. Twisting usually pulls the thing right off.

 

[Sust]

That's an awesome picture.

Pluck it or burn it off without hurting yourself more in the process. Wash wound thoroughly with soap and warm water.
Save the bug for the doc in case (s)he wants to run some tests on it or send to entomologist.
More likely the doc will want your blood to look for signs of borrelia burgdorferi.
Hopefully theres nothing, but if you get a call back from doc then you'll likely start a course of doxycycline.
In the meantime, signs of rash, fever, chills, nausea/vomiting, headache+stiff neck, increasing redness at bite site, etc should prompt at least a call to doctor if not a trip to urgent care or ER.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: Kipper
Twist, don't pull. I've removed many a tick and pulling tends to separate the body only with the head left there. Twisting usually pulls the thing right off.

Twisting will more than likely break the head from the body.

Again, grab the head with the tweezers and pull straight out(or use a side to side motion if necessary).

Burning or smothering the tick will more than likely cause the tick to regurgitate your blood and whatever toxins that he has mixed into that cocktail, back into your bloodstream?and that can make you sick.

Then sterilize the area with alcohol or something similar.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: Kipper
Twist, don't pull. I've removed many a tick and pulling tends to separate the body only with the head left there. Twisting usually pulls the thing right off.

Twisting will more than likely break the head from the body.

Again, grab the head with the tweezers and pull straight out.

Burning or smothering the tick will more than likely cause the tick to regurgitate your blood and whatever toxins that he has mixed into that cocktail, back into your bloodstream?and that can make you sick.

Really? I could see the burning doing that, but I don't quite think that the smothering would result in the same action. If you think of it, I'd be more likely to throw up from getting burned than from suffocating... Clearly, I'm not a tick, but animals have their similarities.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: Kipper
Twist, don't pull. I've removed many a tick and pulling tends to separate the body only with the head left there. Twisting usually pulls the thing right off.

Twisting will more than likely break the head from the body.

Again, grab the head with the tweezers and pull straight out.

Burning or smothering the tick will more than likely cause the tick to regurgitate your blood and whatever toxins that he has mixed into that cocktail, back into your bloodstream?and that can make you sick.

Really? I could see the burning doing that, but I don't quite think that the smothering would result in the same action. If you think of it, I'd be more likely to throw up from getting burned than from suffocating... Clearly, I'm not a tick, but animals have their similarities.

http://www.lyme.org/ticks/removal.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020815/643.html
http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/removingticks.html

 

[xboxist]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: xboxist
Don't take chances when there is a FREAKING BUG BURROWING INTO YOUR BODY. Rip it out first if you must, but then make sure to show it to a doc and maybe test for an infection or disease.

DO NOT RIP IT OUT. If you try, you'll only tear the body, but the head will still be inside. You need to bring it out via smothering or via burning. Smothering, I'd imagine, is preferable.

Yeah, sorry. I meant it loosely, as in do whatever is required to get it out of there (properly).

 

[conorvansmack]

I heard once that covering the critter with vaseline or a similar product will cut off it's air supply and make it back out.

I've had a few ticks in me. A friend pulled the first one out, whole and living. The second one an ER doc removed with tweezers in pieces. Both were wood ticks, so no risk of Lyme disease.

Filthy little f*ckers....

 

[Sust]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: Kipper
Twist, don't pull. I've removed many a tick and pulling tends to separate the body only with the head left there. Twisting usually pulls the thing right off.

Twisting will more than likely break the head from the body.

Again, grab the head with the tweezers and pull straight out.

Burning or smothering the tick will more than likely cause the tick to regurgitate your blood and whatever toxins that he has mixed into that cocktail, back into your bloodstream?and that can make you sick.

Really? I could see the burning doing that, but I don't quite think that the smothering would result in the same action. If you think of it, I'd be more likely to throw up from getting burned than from suffocating... Clearly, I'm not a tick, but animals have their similarities.

http://www.lyme.org/ticks/removal.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020815/643.html
http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/removingticks.html

ZOMG! Someone actually went to look for articles at AAFP!
OP should read the article as it talks about removing ticks.

 

[funboy6942]

I actually used automotive goop on my last one I got. I suffocated it for 8-10 hours I assumed, pealed the goop off my leg taking the tick with it, head and all, which is what I was going for as I waited for the stuff to dry since I couldnt get out out with my tweezers or by hand, it worked perfectly as a tick remover.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: funboy6942
I actually used automotive goop on my last one I got. I suffocated it for 8-10 hours I assumed, pealed the goop off my leg taking the tick with it, head and all, which is what I was going for as I waited for the stuff to dry since I couldnt get out out with my tweezers or by hand, it worked perfectly as a tick remover.

Only problem is allowing it to gorge on you for 8-10+ hours possibly allowed it to transmit any diseases that it may have contained to you.

 

[Atty]

Tick. Remove it yourself and go to a doctor, you can get diseases from them.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Nuke it from orbit... it's the only way to be sure.

 

[soccerballtux]

Burning (match) makes them bite harder I hear (pain); smothering better idea.

 

[IronWing]

I've always just yanked them out by using my fingers to grab them and yanking. So far, no tick fevers.

When I was a kid, a local hospital put out a pocket first aid guide containing the following advice for removing ticks:

Apply gasoline to the tick and the tick should back out. If the above method does not work, press a smoldering match onto the tick.

 

[MrMatt]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: Kipper
Twist, don't pull. I've removed many a tick and pulling tends to separate the body only with the head left there. Twisting usually pulls the thing right off.

Twisting will more than likely break the head from the body.

Again, grab the head with the tweezers and pull straight out.

Burning or smothering the tick will more than likely cause the tick to regurgitate your blood and whatever toxins that he has mixed into that cocktail, back into your bloodstream?and that can make you sick.

Really? I could see the burning doing that, but I don't quite think that the smothering would result in the same action. If you think of it, I'd be more likely to throw up from getting burned than from suffocating... Clearly, I'm not a tick, but animals have their similarities.

http://www.lyme.org/ticks/removal.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020815/643.html
http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/removingticks.html

YUP. This. DO NOT Listen to people posting here, just go to that site and do what it says.