Skin Parasite On The Back

by Laura Venezia
(Pottstown PA Montgomery)

I found a skin parasite on the back of my sister.

My sister has a little hole in her back and I pulled a bug out of it. It was very small. She has the bug. What can it be, and what should she do?

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Hi Laura,

Was the hole already there before you pulled the bug out, or did the bug leave a hole after you pulled it out?


Could it be a tick? Do you know what they look like?


A tick attaches itself to your skin and burrows its head into your body to suck your blood. The body stays sticking out and fills up with blood.


Does that sound like what happened?


If so, you want to be sure that you got the whole bug out of her back. Sometimes the head/mouth parts are left behind and that could cause some infection.


If you have some Tea Tree Oil, you can dab the hole with that to help clean it. Hydrogen Peroxide would also be a good option for cleaning the wound and disinfecting the area.


Most people don't have residual effects from tick bites, but if she does seem to have any side effects, she should probably see a doctor because it is possible to develop a disease from certain types of ticks.


If you don't think it was a tick, perhaps you could describe the skin parasite on the back of your sister a little better for me, or even upload a photo of it if you still have it.


To your good health!
Angie