Awareness is growing that being bitten by a tick has the potential to be more than just an annoying bug bite experience.

Ticks harbour a variety of diseases that can make you very, very sick and early prevention and management is key to keeping your good health

Step 1: Safely remove the tick from your body, without squeezing it or breaking off the mouth. No body wants a dirty mouth embedded in their body.

Step 2: Save the tick in a plastic ziplock bag. Date it, label where you were when you got bitten by it. Keep it in the freezer. If you do happen to develop flulike symptoms afterwards, the tick itself can be tested for diseases. In Australia, the lab who tests ticks is Australian Biologics.

Step 3: Make a paste out of andrographis herbal extract and bentonite clay. Combine the two together into a paste the texture of toothpaste. You only need a little bit. Apply the paste over the bite site to help draw out and kill any tick borne bacteria. Apply a bandaid over the paste covered bite to keep the poultice in place.

Andrographis extract can be found at dispensing health food stores, naturopaths, herbalists or I can post you some from my online remedy store.

I like to keep fine tipped tweezers, andrographis tincture and bentonite clay in my first aid kit. The last thing you want is to drive around with a tick embedded try to source these things when you need them.

Step 4: Support your immune system with vitamins A, C and Zinc. Master Herbalist Stephen Buhner recommends 1000mg Astragalus 3x daily for adults after tick bites to support your immune system and prevent the development of tick borne infections. At this stage, I would focus on other immune boosting therapies like infra red saunas, other herbal remedies such as medicinal mushrooms, houttuynia, teasel and even the humble echinacea.

IF YOU DEVELOP A RASH, FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS, FEVER OR OTHER SIGNS OF INFECTION WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF A TICK BITE, IMMEDIATELY SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

And contact me. Really, please do. My 15 minute consults are free if you have, or think you have, a tick borne infection. Book one here.

The easiest way to prevent a debilitating, chronic tick borne infection from stealing your life is to treat it as soon as possible.

X Bri

Briana Gunn is an Australian Naturopath who specialises in using natural solutions to rebuild your health from CIRS and tick-borne diseases. In practice since 2009, Briana is an expert in CIRS, Lyme and nutritional bypasses for methylation disorders. Briana sees patients all over Australia via Skype.