Tick bites - symptoms, treatments and prevention | healthdirect

What are the symptoms of tick bites? · a rash · headache · fever · flu-like symptoms · sore glands · walking unsteadily · not being able to tolerate bright lights ... PRINT SHARE shareviaFacebook shareviaTwitter shareviaEmail Thereisatotalof5errorsonthisform,detailsarebelow. Pleaseenteryourname Pleaseenteryouremail Youremailisinvalid.Pleasecheckandtryagain Pleaseenterrecipient'semail Recipient'semailisinvalid.Pleasecheckandtryagain AgreetoTermsrequired Thankyouforsharingourcontent.Amessagehasbeensenttoyourrecipient'semailaddresswithalinktothecontentwebpage. Yourname:isrequired Error:Thisisrequired Youremail:isrequired Error:Thisisrequired Error:Notavalidvalue Sendto:isrequired Error:Thisisrequired Error:Notavalidvalue Error:Thisisrequired IhavereadandagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicyisrequired. Onthispage Whatareticksandtickbites? Whatarethedifferenttypesoftickbites? Whatarethesymptomsoftickbites? WhatshouldIdoafteratickbite? Howshouldticksberemoved? WhenshouldIseemydoctor? HowcanIpreventtickbites? Resourcesandsupport RelatedinformationonAustralianwebsites Whatareticksandtickbites? Ticksareparasitesthatfeedonhumanandanimalblood.Atickbiteisusuallyharmless,butsometimesitcancauseanallergicreactionorseriousillness.Ifyouhaveatickbite,itisveryimportanttoremovethetickassoonaspossible. Whatarethedifferenttypesoftickbites? Thereareabout70differentsortsoftickinAustralia.Theyareespeciallycommonalongtheeastcoast.Somehaveaflatbodyandalongmouth,whilesomelookwrinklyandleathery. InAustralia,mosttickbitesarecausedbytheparalysistickIxodesholocyclus(sometimescalledagrasstick,seedtickorbushtick).Theygrowfromaneggtoalarva(about1mmlongandbrown)andthentoanymph(about2mmlongandpalebrown).Anadultparalysistickisabout1cmlongandagrey-bluecolour. Ticksneedbloodtogrow.Theycrawlupgrassortwigsanddropontopassinganimalsorhumans,attachingthemselvestothesoftskintofeed.Theyinjectasubstancetostopthebloodclotting.Theirsalivacanalsobepoisonous. Somepeopleareallergictotickbites.Others,usuallychildren,candevelopaconditioncalledtickparalysis.Itisalsopossiblefortickstopassonseveralillnessestohumans. Tickbitesinfographic—howtoidentifyticksandremovethemsafely. Whatarethesymptomsoftickbites? Ifyouhavebeenbitten,usuallyyouwilljustnoticerednessandswellingaroundthetickbite.Thiswilldisappearonceyouremovethetick. Symptomsoftickparalysisinclude: arash headache fever flu-likesymptoms soreglands walkingunsteadily notbeingabletotoleratebrightlights weaklimbs aparalysedface Symptomsofanallergicreactiontotickbitesinclude: swollenthroat difficultybreathing collapsing WhatshouldIdoafteratickbite? Ifyouhavebeenoutdoorsandyouhaveanitch,trynottoscratchit.Lookattheareafirst.Ticksinthelarvaeornymphstagescanbeverysmall–theymightlooklikejustablackdot. Unlessyouareallergictoticks,thereisnoneedtoseeadoctor.Removethetickassafelyandquicklyaspossibleandkeepaneyeoutforsymptomsoftick-relatedillnesses(seebelow).Don'tscratchorpickatthetick. Ifyouareallergictoticks,itisbesttohaveadoctorremovethetick.Youshouldhaveyouremergencyadrenalineautoinjectoronhandandgotothenearestemergencydepartment. Rememberthatsymptomsofotherillnessescausedbythetickcandeveloporbecomeworseafterthetickhasbeenremoved. Somepeopledevelopaseriousallergytomeatandproductscontaininggelatinaftertheyhavehadatickbite,knownasmammalianmeatallergy.Thiswillneedtobediagnosedbyadoctorwhospecialisesinallergies(calledanallergistorimmunologist). Ifyouhavemammalianmeatallergy,youwillneedtoavoideatinganyformofmeatatallandanythingcontaininggelatin.Considerwearingamedicalbraceletsinceyoumightalsobeallergictosomeproductsusedinhospitals. Howshouldticksberemoved? Ifyouarenotallergictoticks,youshouldremovethetickassoonaspossible.Donotsqueeze,agitateorforciblyremovetheticksinceitwillbemorelikelytoinjectitssalivaintoyou. First,killthetickbysprayingitwithaproductthatcontainsether.Holdtheethercontainingsprayabout1cmabovethetickandspraythetick5times. Thetickshoulddieanddropoffinabout5minutes.Afterafewminutes,checktoseeifthetickisstillmovingitslegs,byusingamagnifyingglass.Ifthetickslegsarenotmovingitisdead. Ifyoudon’thaveamagnifyingglassorthetickisn’tdead,spraythetick5timesagain. Ifthetickdoesnotdropoff,oryoucan’tfreezethetick,leavethetickinplaceandseekurgentmedicalassistancetoremovethetick. Donotjerkortwistthetick.Don'tusemethylatedspirits,kerosene,petroleumjelly,nailpolish,oiloralcohol,orusealightedmatch.Thesedon'tworkandmaycausetheticktoburrowdeeperintoyourskin. Ifyouareallergictoticks,donottrytoremovethetick—killitwithaspraythatcontainsether.FollowtheadviceonyourASCIAactionplan.Ifit'syourfirstallergicreaction,gostraighttoahospitalemergencydepartment.Ifyouhavehadallergicreactionsbefore,talktoyourdoctorabouthowtoremovethetickandwhetheryouwillneedtoseeadoctoreverytime.Alwayscarryyouradrenalineautoinjector. WatchthisvideofromtheAustralasianSocietyofClinicalImmunologyandAllergy(ASCIA)onhowtosafelyremoveatick. WhenshouldIseemydoctor? Seeyourdoctorifyoucan'tremoveatickproperlyandpartofitisstillleftinyourskin.Youshouldalsoseeadoctorifyoudevelopsignsofaninfection,suchas: increasingpain,swellingandredness redstreaksleadingfromthearea pus fever Tickbitescansometimescauseotherillnessessuchasrickettsiainfections,Queenslandticktyphus,FlindersIslandspottedfeverandpossiblyLymediseaseorLymedisease-likeconditions.However,whetherthesearelinkedtoatick-bornillnessinAustraliaisstillbeinginvestigated. Seeyourdoctorifyouhavehadatickbiteandyouexperienceanyofthesesymptomsformorethanaweek: flu-likesymptoms anewrash paininyourjoints tiredness HowcanIpreventtickbites? Keepyourskincoveredinareaswheretheremightbeticks.Wearalong-sleevedshirt,tuckyourtrousersintoyoursocksandwearawide-brimmedhat. Avoidbushandlonggrass,especiallyafterrain. UseaninsectrepellentthatcontainsDEETorpicaridin. Youcanputaninsecticidethatcontainspermethrinontoyourclothes. Brushyourclothesandcheckyourskinfortickswhenyoucomeinside. Placeclothesinahotdryerfor20minutestokillticks. Resourcesandsupport VisittheAustralasianSocietyofClinicalImmunologyandAllergywebsiteforinformationabouttickallergy. VisittheDepartmentofHealthwebsitetolearnmoreabouttickbiteprevention. VisitTiarawebsiteforinformationabouttick-inducedallergies,researchandawareness. Learnmorehereaboutthedevelopmentandqualityassuranceofhealthdirectcontent. Lastreviewed:June2020 BackToTop Searchoursitefor InsectBitesandStings Allergy LymeDisease Generalsearchresults Resultsformedicalprofessionals Topresults Tickremoval:Firstaidandprevention-MyDr.com.au Freezeit;Don'tsqueezeit!That'sthelatestadvicefromexpertstoAustralianswhohaveanattachedadulttick.Tickremoval:Firstaidandprevention ReadmoreonmyDrwebsite DepartmentofHealth|Tickbiteprevention Thispageprovidesinformationabouttickbites ReadmoreonDepartmentofHealthwebsite TickAllergy-AustralasianSocietyofClinicalImmunologyandAllergy(ASCIA) Allergicreactionstoticksrangefrommild(withlargelocalswellingandinflammationatthesiteofatickbite)tosevere(anaphylaxis).TopreventallergicreactionstoticksdoNOTforciblyremovethetick.Theoptionsareto: Seekmedicalassistancetoremovethetick;OR Killthetickfirstbyusingaproductthatrapidlyfreezesthetick,topreventitfrominjectingmoreallergen-containingsaliva,thenremoveitassoonaspracticalandinassafeasettingaspossible. ReadmoreonASCIA–AustralasianSocietyofClinicalImmunologyandAllergywebsite Lymediseasefactsheet-Factsheets LymediseaseiscausedbyinfectionwiththebacteriaBorreliaburgdorferi(sl). ReadmoreonNSWHealthwebsite Ticks ​Ticksareparasitesthatfeedontheanimalandhumanblood ReadmoreonNSWHealthwebsite InsectandTickAllergy-AustralasianSocietyofClinicalImmunologyandAllergy(ASCIA) TheAustralasianSocietyofClinicalImmunologyandAllergy(ASCIA)isthepeakprofessionalbodyofclinicalimmunologyandallergyinAustraliaandNewZealand.ASCIApromotesandadvancesthestudyandknowledgeofimmuneandallergicdiseases,includingasthma. ReadmoreonASCIA–AustralasianSocietyofClinicalImmunologyandAllergywebsite Bitesandstings|QueenslandPoisonsInformationCentre Informationongeneralfirsaidforbitesandstings.Up-to-dateadvicetoassistinthemanagementofpoisonings.Call131126. ReadmoreonQueenslandHealthwebsite Allergiestobitesandstings-BetterHealthChannel betterhealth.vic.gov.au ReadmoreonBetterHealthChannelwebsite Lymedisease-MyDr.com.au Lymediseaseisatick-borneillness.FindoutaboutthesymptomsofLymedisease,diagnosis,testsandtreatment. ReadmoreonmyDrwebsite Lymedisease-LabTestsOnlineAU Lymediseaseisabacterialinfectionaffectingtheskinandpossiblythejoints,nervoussystemandotherbodyparts. ReadmoreonLabTestsOnlineAUwebsite Showmore Topresults LymeDisease:Symptoms,Treatment,Prevention|Ausmed Lymedisease(alsoknownasLymeborreliosis)isabacterialinfectiontransmittedthroughtickbites.Itisapotentiallymulti-systemicconditionthatmayleadtoserioussymptomsifleftuntreated.ItispredominantlycausedbyfourtypesofbacteriaintheBorreliaburgdorferisensulatogroup. ReadmoreonAusmedEducationwebsite Showmore HealthdirectAustraliaisnotresponsibleforthecontentandadvertisingontheexternalwebsiteyouarenowentering. 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