Self Care Articles

Is this your symptom?

• A tick (small brown bug) is attached to the skin or was removed from the skin

Symptoms of a Tick Bite

• A tick bite does not cause pain. It may or may not itch. So, ticks may not be noticed for a few days.
• After feeding on blood, ticks get swollen and easier to see.
• Ticks fall off on their own after sucking blood for 3 to 6 days.
• After the tick comes off, a little red bump may be seen.
• The red bump or spot is the body's response to the tick's saliva (spit).
• While the tick is sucking blood, some of its spit gets mixed in.

Causes of Tick Bites

• The wood tick (dog tick) is the size of an apple seed. After feeding, it can double or triple in size. Sometimes, it can pass on Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Colorado tick fever.
• The deer tick is the size of a poppy seed. After a feeding, it can triple in size. Sometimes, it can pass on Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease

• More than 90% of people who get Lyme disease live in or have traveled to high-risk states. Lyme disease mainly occurs in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest. Many states do not have Lyme disease. For the current list of states that have higher rates, see the CDC website.
• About 80% of Lyme disease starts with a bull's eye rash called erythema migrans. The rash starts at the site of the tick bite. It starts on the average at 7 days. It grows larger quickly, to more than 2 inches (5 cm) wide. It can become as large as 12 inches (30 cm). It lasts 2 or 3 weeks. Treatment of this rash with an antibiotic is advised. This almost always prevents the later stages of Lyme disease. If Lyme disease isn't treated, heart, joint and neurologic problems can occur.
• Taking antibiotics after deer tick bites to prevent Lyme disease depends on the risk. The risk is low if the tick was attached a short time. The risk is higher if the deer tick was attached for longer than 36 hours. It's also higher if the tick is swollen, not flat. Ask your doctor for advice.
• The risk of Lyme disease after a deer tick bite is low. Even in high risk areas, only 2% of deer tick bites cause Lyme Disease.