How to Know When You've Been Bitten by a Tick - Everyday ...

“If the rash is any bigger than a highly localized red spot — like a mosquito bite — then go see a doctor,” he says. Likewise, see your doctor ... BugBitesHowtoKnowWhenIt’saTickBiteandWhattoDoAboutItBy MarkhamHeidMedicallyReviewedby RossRadusky,MDReviewed:August6,2018MedicallyReviewedDespitetheprevalenceofticks,manypeoplearestillinthedarkabouttick-bornediseasesandtheriskslinkedtotickbites.FalkKienas/AlamyTicksseemtobeeverywherethesedays.Atleastonedisease-spreadingtypeoftickcannowbefoundineveryoneofthelower48states,aswellasinAlaska.(1)Andthere’sgoodreasonyou’relikelyhearingmoreandmoreaboutthebugsandthebite-relatedinfectionsthattheyspread.Morethan300,000AmericansarediagnosedwithLymediseaseeachyear—afigurethathasnearlytripledsincethe1990s,accordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC).(1)Whileit’snotclearwhat’scausingtheupswingintickpopulationsandbite-relatedinfections,tickshavebeenexpandingtheirgeographicrange.MoreonTicks7TickBitesThatCanMakeYouSickDespitetheprevalenceofticksandtheexposurethey’vegarneredinthenews,manypeoplearestillinthedarkabouttick-bornediseases.TheCDCreportsthatanationalsurveyshowsthat20percentofpeoplelivinginanareawhereLymediseaseiscommonwerenotawareoftherisks.Andthoserisksaresubstantial.“Somewherebetween20%and40%ofblackleggedtickscarryLyme,”saysRichardOstfeld,PhD,adistinguishedseniorscientistattheCaryInstituteofEcosystemStudiesinNewYork.Here’saprimeronthebestwaystoavoidticks,howtoidentifytheirbites,andwhattodoaboutabiteifoneisdiscovered.WhatBitMe?SpotThese12BugBitesTicksDon’tFlyorJump,butTheyCanClimbOntoYouIfYouGetCloseEnoughTicksarenotfliersorjumpers.(2)They’recrawlers—andpooronesatthat,Dr. Ostfeldsays.“Theydon’tmovefastatall,”hesays.Togetontoyourbody,ticksliketoclimboverlowplants,foliage,logs,orotherclose-to-the-groundobjects.Fromthere,theygrasptheobjectwiththeirbacklegswhilereachingoutwiththeirfrontlegsinanactresearcherscallquesting.Whenyoubrushpast,thequestingtickgrabsholdofyourshoesorpantsorskinandthenmakesitswayupwarduntilitfindsasafe,inconspicuousspottosinkitsmouthpartsintoyourflesh,Ostfeldsays.“Theylikethosetucked-awayplaceswheretheskinissoftandwheretheycanhidewithoutbeingdetected,”headds,mentioningthebacksoftheknees,thearmpits,thebackoftheneck,andthegroinasfavoritelocations.Onceattachedtoyourskin,atickwillstaythereforseveraldays,slowlygorgingitselfonyourbloodbeforedroppingoffonitsown.Ticksmustfeedonahostateverystageoftheirlifecycleinordertosurvive.EverythingYouNeedtoKnowAboutBugBitesandDiseaseBug-bornediseasesareontherise.Here’showtostaysafe.GuideHowDoIKnowIfI’veBeenBittenbyaTick?Detectingtickbitescanbetricky.Unlikethebitesofmosquitoesandotherinsects,tickbitesdonottendtocauseitchingorimmediateskinirritation.“Everyblood-feedingarthropodandinsectintroducessalivaintothewound,”explainsJonathanDay,PhD,aprofessorofmedicalentomologyattheUniversityofFlorida.Inthecaseofmosquitoesandsomeotherbitinginsects,thissalivacontainsproteinsthatpreventthebitewoundfromclotting,whichwouldslowtheoutflowofbloodandthereforedisruptfeeding,Dr.Dayexplains.Apartfrompreventingyourbloodfromclotting,theseproteinsalsotriggerareactionfromyourimmunesystem.Thisreactionproducesredness,swelling,itching,andalltheotherunpleasantskinirritationsthatcomewithbugbites,Dayexplains.RELATED:HowtoIdentify11CommonBugBitesButtickbitesaredifferent.“Tickssuppressthatreactionwithimmunosuppressantsintheirsaliva,”Ostfeldexplains.Sinceyoucan’tfeelatick’sbite,youcandetectitinoneoftwoways:ByspottingorfeelingatickonyourskinByidentifyingabiteoncethetickhasdroppedoffIftheTickIsStillAttached...Findingatickonyourskincanbequitedifficult,Ostfeldsays—especiallyduringthespringandearly-summermonthswhenticksareintheirnymphstage,andsoareroughlythesizeofapoppyseed.Youhavetocloselyexamineyourskin—andhavealovedonescantheplacesyoucan’tsee—inordertospotthem.Whileadultticksarealittlelarger,they’restilldifficulttoidentify.Runningyourhandsoverthosepartsofyourbodytickstendtobiteisanotherwaytofindthembeforethey’vedroppedoff.(They’llfeellikesmall,unfamiliar,hardnodulesonyourskin.)IftheTickHasDroppedOff...Whiletickbitesdon’timmediatelyitchlikeotherbugbites,theycanstillcausearedweltoritchylesiontoriseontheskinafterthetickhasdroppedaway,Ostfeldsays.Thesizeandqualityofthislesioncanvaryalotfrompersontoperson,hesays,andsoitmaybeimpossibletodifferentiateatickbitefromamosquitobite.EspeciallyifthetickthatbityouwasnotcarryingLymediseaseorsomeotherinfection,thebiteislikelytoresembleamosquitobiteandquicklyfadeaway.RELATED: HowtoIdentifyThese11CommonSkinRashesButifyoufindatickonyourskinornoticeanitchylesionthatdoesn’tgoawaywithinafewdays,thatcouldindicateLymediseaseorsomeotherkindoftick-borneinfection.(3)Thesameistrueofalarge,bull's-eye-shapedskinlesion—somethingthatlookslikearedweltsurroundedbyoneormoreouterringsofinflamedredskin.(3)Thisbull's-eyerashisahallmarkofLymedisease.Bulls-eyerashes,likethisone,canbeawarningsignyoumayhavebeenbittenbyatickthattransmittedLymediseasetoyou.iStockIfYou’veBeenBittenbyaTick,You’llWanttoRemoveItASAPIfyoufindatickonyourbody,you’llwanttoremoveitassoonaspossible.Ingeneral,atickneedstobeattachedtoyourbodyforatleast36hourstotransmitLymedisease,butotherinfectionscanbetransmittedwithinhoursorlesstime.(4)Ifyoucangettoyourprimarycaredoctorordermatologistquickly,heorshecanremovethetickwithappropriatetoolsthataresuretogetthefulltickout.Ifremovingyourself,usetweezersorcommerciallyavailabletick-removaltools.“Grabthetick’smouthpartsasclosetotheskinaspossibleandpullstraightout,”Ostfeldsays.Don’tworryifyousquishthetickorleaveasmallspeckofblackinyourskin.“That’snotabigdeal.Swabitwithalcoholorsomethingelsetopreventinfection,”hesays.(Despiterumorsfloatingaroundonline,killingormashingthetickduringextractionwillnotcauseittoinjectmoresalivaorfluidintoyourbody.)“Thelongerthey’reinyou,themorelikelytheyaretotransmitpathogens,soyouwanttogetthemoutasquicklyaspossible,”Ostfeldadds.SeeYourDoctorAfteraTickBiteIfYouNoticeaBull's-EyeRashorOtherInfectionSymptomsDothesameifyounoticeabite—eitherfromatickyoufoundorfromanunknownsource—that’snotactinglikeamosquitobite.“Iftherashisanybiggerthanahighlylocalizedredspot—likeamosquitobite—thengoseeadoctor,”hesays.Likewise,seeyourdoctorifyoufeelanyflu-likesymptoms,musclesaches,orchillswithinaweekto10daysofthebite,allofwhichcanbeindicativeoftick-borneinfections,headds.IfadoctorsuspectsyoumayhavecontractedLymeorsomeothertypeofinfection,heorshewillprescribeantibiotics,eitheroralorpossiblyintravenous,totreattheproblem.(5)LearnMoreAboutLymeHowtoSpottheWarningSignsandSymptomsofLymeDiseaseWhatYouNeedtoKnowAbouttheGrowingPrevalenceof‘SuperTicks’WhyLymeDiseaseAffectsYourHeartHowDoctorsTreatLymeDiseaseHowCanIAvoidGettingBittenbyaTickorContractingLyme?Tickscanthriveinavarietyofenvironments.“Ticksarefoundinthicketsandcoastalareas,orinlowgrassesandherbaceousvegetation,”Ostfeldsays.“Butthey’repredominantlyforestcreatures.”Grassy,bushy,andespeciallyheavilywoodedareasareallprimerealestateforticks.Stayingawayfromthoseenvironmentsisyourbestdefense,hesays.Butifyoudoventureintosuchareas,wearlongpantsandboots,andtakethemoffassoonasyougethome.Ostfeldrecommendsthrowinganyclothingyouwerewearingintothedryer—turnedtohighheat—assoonaspossible.Tickslovehumidity,andthey’vebeenshowntosurvivewashinganddrying.Buttossyourclothesinthedryerwithoutwettingthem,andthedry,hotconditionsshouldkillthemoff,hesays.YoucanalsouseDEETandotherbugrepellentstoeffectivelykeepticksaway,hesays.Achemicalcalledpermethrinisavailableasasprayandwhenappliedtoyourbootsorhikingpants,willkillticksoncontact.NEWSLETTERSSignupforourHealthyLivingNewsletter!EnteryouremailSubscribeBysubscribingyouagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.EditorialSourcesandFact-CheckingLymeandOtherTickborneDiseases.CDC.April12,2018.LifeCycleofHardTicksthatSpreadDisease.CDC.April20,2017.SignsandSymptomsofUntreatedLymeDisease.CDC.October26,2016.TickBites:FirstAid.MayoClinic.May16,2018.LymeDiseaseTreatment.CDC.December2017.ShowLessTheLatestinBugBitesBugBitesandStings:EverythingYouNeedtoKnowByMarkhamHeidNovember26,2020DoNaturalBugRepellentsActuallyWork?Despitetheitchyannoyanceofbugbitesandtheriskofdangerousdiseasesthatsomeinsectscarry,alotofpeopledon’twanttousebugrepellents...ByLisaRapaportSeptember4,2020IsItSkeeterSyndrome?Here’severythingyouneedtoknowaboutallergicreactionstomosquitobites,includingwhattodoaboutthem.ByLisaRapaportJune30,2020Study:MosquitoesFindYou(andDecidetoBite)BecauseTheyCanSmellYourBreathThenewresearchmayonedayhelpscientistsdesignnewmosquitocontroloptions.ByLisaRapaportJuly23,20196ThingsYouNeedtoKnowAbouttheAsianLonghornedTickExpertanswersonpotentialrisksandwhyhealthofficialsarekeepingacloseeyeonthisforeigninvader.ByBeckyUphamMay23,2019DidaWaspStingMe?AllAboutTreatmentOptions,AllergicReactions,HomeRemedies,andMoreByValenciaHigueraMarch26,2019DidaBeeStingMe?TreatmentOptions,AllergicReactions,HomeRemedies,andMoreByValenciaHigueraMarch25,2019Yes,MitesandFleasBite.Here’sHowtoAvoidThemByMarkhamHeidAugust6,2018EverythingYouNeedtoKnowAboutAntBites(andHowtoAvoidThem)ByMarkhamHeidAugust6,2018HowtoKnowIt’saChiggerBiteandWhattoDoAboutItByMarkhamHeidAugust1,2018MostHelpfulHowtoFindtheRightDermatologisttoHelpYouManageYourHidradenitisSuppurativaWhatAreExfoliatingGloves,andShouldYouBeUsingThem?12SkinConditionsYouShouldKnowAbout