Causes of Tick Bites

People usually pick up ticks from woody underbrush, tall grass or weeds, and the fur of outdoor pets. Once on a host, the tick bites the skin, embeds its head, and taps into a blood source—a small vein or capillary.

Symptoms of Tick Bites

Unless you see the tick while it is attached to you, you may not know you’ve had a tick bite—and you may have no reaction to it. Symptoms of a reaction to a tick bite, or to illness carried by a tick, are:

• Red ring or “bull’s-eye” rash that quickly expands, usually occurring 3 to 30 days after a bite. The rash can be a few inches or very large and can last up to 3 weeks.
• Increased pain, redness, swelling, and fever can indicate an infection from the bite.
• A general feeling of not being well about 2 weeks after a tick bite can signal a tick-borne illness.

Preventing Tick Bites

• The best way to prevent ticks from attaching to your skin is to find them before they attach. Do regular “tick checks” when you are in the woods. Twice daily, inspect your skin, scalp, and clothing for ticks.
• Avoid being a target for ticks. Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, a hat, socks, and shoes. Tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks to help prevent ticks from attaching themselves to your skin.
• Apply insect repellent containing no more than 30 percent DEET to your pants, socks, and shoes. Higher concentrations of DEET are not recommended, especially for young children and those with sensitive skin.
• Apply permethrin insecticide for treatment of clothing.

Lyme Disease

One of the diseases often spread by deer ticks is Lyme disease. It is an infection that can affect the skin, joints, brain, and heart, as well as other organs. It was identified in 1975 in the woodlands around Lyme, Connecticut. The disease is caused by a previously unknown bacteria. Lyme disease is spread only by deer ticks, not the common dog tick or wood tick. Deer ticks are smaller—about the size of a poppy seed—and have different markings than those of wood ticks.

Symptoms

Lyme disease symptoms can vary greatly from person to person; however, three phases have been identified.

Phase one: Between 3 and 30 days after being bitten by an infected tick, a small red bump may appear at the site. The bump is surrounded by a ring of red, or bull’s-eye, rash that slowly expands for several days before fading. Flu-like symptoms—fatigue, headache, chills, joint and muscle aches, and a low fever—may occur during this period. However, a third of those who get Lyme disease never get a rash.

Phase two: Weeks or months after the bite, about 20 percent of untreated people have neurological or cardiac disorders, ranging from poor coordination to facial paralysis to abnormal heart rhythm. Skin lesions develop in about half of those who are untreated. These symptoms also disappear, usually within a few weeks.

Phase three: Up to 60 percent of untreated people may develop recurring or chronic arthritis after a period of up to 2 years. The arthritis mainly affects large joints, most often the knees.

Treatment

Lyme disease can be treated and nearly always cured, especially in its early stages. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are sensitive to antibiotics such as tetracycline, penicillin, and erythromycin. If you see or have had the bull’s-eye rash, see your doctor right away.

Prevention

Follow the measures for tick-bite prevention and:

• Shower after being in a wooded area and check for ticks.
• Keep in mind that you can prevent the disease by using good protective measures.

First Aid for Tick Bites

• If you discover a tick on your skin or clothing, remove it immediately. The sooner you remove it, the less your chance of picking up infectious organisms.
• Don’t use nail polish, solvents, or alcohol to remove a tick. They can cause the tick to release harmful secretions under the skin. Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Slowly and gently pull the tick up from the skin until it releases its grip.
• Avoid twisting or jerking to prevent breaking off the head or mouth. Do not crush the tick. If tweezers are not available, pull off the tick using your fingers or a loop of thread around the jaws.
• If the tick’s head stays in the skin, use a sterile needle to remove it.
• Dispose of the tick after it has been removed by burning or flushing it.
• Clean the skin thoroughly with soap and water after the tick has been removed.