Most tick bites are not painful and are no cause for alarm. They may cause small symptoms like irritation or a change in skin colour. However, some ticks can carry diseases that can be severe, so it’s important to know what a tick bite looks like and what to do if you know you’ve been bitten.
Tick bites typically look like small, red spots. However, if you see what’s known as a “bullseye rash” – a bite surrounded by a red, circular rash – that’s one of the signs of Lyme Disease, a tick-borne illness. Ticks themselves often stay lodged in the skin, so you may find a tick still in the site where you’ve been bitten. Ticks are small, round bugs. They’re usually brown but can range in colour and grow as they take in more blood.
One of the most important ways to catch tick bites early is to check for ticks if you live in climates where ticks are seasonal bugs or year-round bugs. Ticks enjoy warm weather, and similarly, they enjoy warm, soft spots on the body.
You’re most likely to find them in your armpits, groyne, stomach and waist area, the backs of the knees, hair, and even around the ears. If you don’t spot a tick shortly after it bites, ticks naturally fall off after a few days.
If you have a tick still attached to your body, get a pair of tweezers and grab the tick as close to the skin as you can without hurting yourself. Pull the tick up and out of the skin without pinching or twisting the tick. You may want to have someone else help you. Once it’s out, you can wrap the tick in tape and throw it away after taking a picture of it. A picture can be a good resource to help your doctor determine if you’re at risk of any illnesses.
Common myths are that you can kill a tick by smothering it in petroleum jelly, nail polish remover, or even by using a hot match. These are not effective or safe ways to remove a tick.
Never handle a tick with your bare hands and always clean your hands and the infected site after removing a tick.
If you have difficulty breathing, heart issues, headache, or even temporary paralysis, go to your nearest emergency room right away.
If you are able to safely remove the tick and you continue to feel fine, you don’t need to go see your doctor. However, if you:
The longer the tick remains in your skin, the more at risk you are of contracting a disease. Even if the rash you had went away, any rash could be a potential sign of disease. Play it safe if you’ve been bitten by a tick and are worried about contracting a tick-borne illness and go see your doctor.
It’s very hard to prevent tick bites if you live in a climate where ticks are prevalent. However, you can take steps to minimise your risk. These can include wearing insect repellent, covering as much skin as possible when you go outside, and always checking for ticks after spending time outdoors. While checking for ticks isn’t a prevention method, it can help you catch tick bites as soon as they happen.