One of the symptoms after a tick bite is developing an itch. The tick bite itself is usually not felt, but the remaining bump might itch (badly). It might feel similar to a mosquito bite. The spot usually looks like a red spot with a dark red dot in the middle, where the tick used to be. Show After a tick bite, such a spot or bump is quite normal. This doesn’t immediately indicate Lyme disease, but is a consequence of skin irritation after the bite. However, a red (circular) rash is a characteristic symptom of Lyme disease. Even so, this doesn’t occur until a few days or weeks after a tick bite, and will grow slowly. Order a Lyme test Quickly go to:
Ticks are small spiderlike animals. They bite to fasten themselves onto your skin and feed on your blood. Ticks can carry diseases. But most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. Some people may have an allergic reaction to a tick bite. This reaction may be mild, with symptoms like itching and swelling. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction may occur. A lot of bites from little critters looking for their next meal are no big deal. You get a small red bump, maybe it’s itchy, and you move on. But if you have a tick, you want to know about it. Ticks carry a lot of different diseases, some of them serious. Usually, early treatment is your key to a full and fast recovery. That means you need to know what to look for if a tick bites you. How to Identify Tick BitesTicks aren’t like bugs that bite you and then fly away or scoot off. When one gets on your body, it sets up camp. It finds a place to eat, then burrows its head into your skin and starts feeding. And it’ll stay there for several days. Most likely, you won’t feel anything because the bite doesn’t hurt, and it isn’t usually itchy. Because ticks are often very small, you might not see it either. At first, it might just look like a fleck of dirt. As it feeds though, it swells up and can be easier to find. You might get a small red bump where the tick bites you. Some people’s bodies react to ticks with 1 to 2 inches of redness around the bite. That red area won’t get any bigger, unless it’s really a rash, which is a sign of disease. Ticks typically bite people in warm, moist, or hairy areas, like the:
Once a tick finds a place to feed, it will stay there anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks. Ticks bite once and use that site to feed on your blood until they’re full. A tick will fall off on its own once it’s full. You won’t get multiple bites from a tick. Most tick bites are painless and cause only a minor reaction. Only sometimes do they transmit disease. Tick Bite SymptomsTick bites often cause a reaction on your skin, even when they’re not infected or disease-causing. Typical symptoms of a tick bite may include:
Unlike other bites, tick bites don’t usually have fluid or pus in them, unless they’re infected. Most diseases from ticks also give you flu-like symptoms, such as: With Lyme disease, you may also have joint pain. Only some diseases from ticks give you a rash. What it looks like depends on which kind you have. Lyme disease: Most people with Lyme disease get a rash, but not all of them. It shows up within 3-30 days after you were bitten, but it usually takes just over a week. You’ll see a round or oval area of redness around the bite. At first, it may look just like a reaction to the bite, but the rash gets bigger over days or even weeks. Typically, it reaches about 6 inches wide. It might feel warm, but it’s not usually painful or itchy. Most people think of the bull’s-eye rash when they hear about Lyme disease. That happens in less than half the cases, and it comes after the rash has been around for a while. Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Most people with RMSF get a rash 2-5 days after they first get symptoms. It won’t look the same on everyone, but it usually starts as small, flat, pink spots on your wrists and ankles. It spreads from there to the rest of your body. In about half the cases, the spots turn red or purple after about a week. Southern tick-associated rash illness: With STARI, you get a rash just like Lyme disease: a red bull’s-eye with the bite in the center. Tularemia: There are different types of tularemia, but with the most common one, you get a painful open sore where the tick bit you. Ehrlichiosis: Children get the rash more often than adults. The rash can vary from small, flat, red, or purple spots to red areas of skin covered with small bumps. How to Treat a Tick BiteIf you find a tick still on your skin, follow these steps:
It’s important to start treatment for diseases from ticks as soon as possible. If your tick bite is infected or you’ve gotten a disease from it, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to help get rid of the infection or disease. Call or see your doctor if you: Some people have more serious reactions to the bite itself. Go to the emergency room if you have: Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have any of these symptoms: You can lower your chance of tick bites by preparing yourself before you go outside and knowing what to look for once you’re back inside. Use these tick tips to protect yourself: SOURCES: Mayo Clinic: “Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,” “Lyme Disease,” “Tick Bites: First Aid.” Arkansas Department of Health: “Tickborne Diseases.” Illinois Department of Public Health: “Common Ticks.” Seattle Children’s: “Tick Bite.” John Hopkins Medicine, Rheumatology: “What to Do After a Tick Bite.” CDC: “Symptoms of Tickborne Illness,” “Preventing Tick Bites.” The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station: “Tick Management Handbook.” Columbia University Medical Center, Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center: “Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.” |