If you have kids, you know they can get into everything and always seem dirty. Sometimes, it’s a two-bath day. Trust us: We’ve all been there. But sometimes what appears to be just some everyday dirt and grime on our kids can actually be something serious. This is particularly true when kids are younger and can’t quite communicate what is happening to them.
Last week TikTok mom Jessica DeLoach, known as @mrs.jess1986 on the social media app, posted a now-viral video that has parents saying, “OMG.” We’re just going to warn you, this will unlock a fear you didn’t even know you had.
Let’s talk ticks. You know, those creepy little blood suckers who live in tall grasses. You’ve probably checked your kids for ticks if they spent time in the woods, but how well did you check? We’re not just talking heads and bodies. What about ears? And we mean inside. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
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DeLoach was doing standard mom stuff in the tub.
The family had been playing outside, and afterward, the mom went to give her toddler daughter, Averie, a bath. When she began to clean her little girl's ears, she noticed one of them was irritated and called her pediatrician, fearful Averie had put something inside.
The photos in her TikTok definitely look like the poor baby was in pain and needed to see a doctor. The doctor’s office told her to bring the little girl in immediately.
Averie wasn’t really complaining.
Text on DeLoach’s TikTok explains that her daughter's ear didn’t seem to bother Averie unless someone tried to touch it or look inside. When she finally let the doctor peek inside, what was there shocked everyone.
Averie had not one but two ticks inside of her ear! One was tiny, but the other, just wow! You have to see. After they were out, Averie got a lollipop that her mom said she definitely earned.
Her ear is healing.
Thankfully, Averie seems to be OK. Her ear looked a bit sore after the extraction, but her mom said she is doing fine. She implored parents to check their kids’ ears for ticks if they have been playing outside.
In the comments, many people asked about antibiotics in case Averie was exposed to Lyme disease. Thankfully, DeLoach said her doctor did give her meds.
As expected, parents are shook.
Like we said before, now we have a new fear here that we didn’t even know we needed to have. And plenty of other parents agree.
“Cool. New fear unlocked. Myself and my children will be wearing earmuffs for the foreseeable future,” one mom joked.
“goodness!!! we can’t do nothing in this d— world! I’m glad she’s OK now!” another person commented.
“My kids are never going outside again.” another parent wrote.
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All kidding aside, ticks can be super dangerous.
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria often carried by ticks. It can be devastating and cause long-term side effects and illness. Only deer ticks carry the bacteria, but parents must still be safe. According to KidsHealth, early Lyme disease symptoms include fever, tiredness, body aches, and a rash that is sometimes in the shape of a bullseye.
Although it cannot always be prevented, parents need to check their kids thoroughly for ticks after they are in a wooded area and be sure to seek treatment quickly if they notice signs of Lyme disease.
“If your child is diagnosed with Lyme disease, give the antibiotics exactly as the doctor directs. And because people can get Lyme disease more than once,” KidsHealth urges, check kids regularly for ticks, removing any that you see right away, and teach children ways to avoid being bitten by a tick.
