Reviewer: Pan Xingfei (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University)
1. What should I do after being bitten by a tick?
It is common for small animals to bite a lot in search of their next meal. A small red bump on your body that may be itchy is generally ignored. But if you’ve been bitten by a tick, you’ll want to understand what’s going on.
Ticks transmit many different diseases, some of them serious. Early treatment is often a critical step in a full, rapid recovery. You need to know what to look out for after being bitten by a tick.
2. What is it like to be bitten by a tick?
Ticks, unlike bugs, bite and fly away. After ticks crawl on people, they “parasitic”.
Ticks first find a place to feed, then bury their heads in a person’s skin and start feeding. The ticks will stay there for a few days.
A person will most likely not feel anything after being bitten because the bite is not painful and usually not itchy. The tick is usually so small that it may not be visible at all.
At first, it might just look like a dirty thing. However, the body swells while eating, making it easier to find.
A small red bump may develop where the tick bites. Some people’s body reacts to the tick with a redness of about 2.5 to 5 cm around the bite.
The redness does not get bigger unless there is a rash, which is a sign of the disease.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
3. What does the rash look like?
Only some diseases spread by ticks can cause a rash. The appearance of the rash depends on the type of rash.
Lyme Disease: Most people with Lyme disease develop a rash, but not all people do. The rash appears within 3 to 30 days of being bitten by a tick, usually more than a week later.
A circular or oval red area will appear around the bite site. At first, it may seem like a bite reaction, but the rash can get bigger after a few days or even weeks.
Typically up to 15 cm wide. The rash may be hot, but it is usually neither painful nor itchy.
Most people think of bullseye when they hear Lyme disease. This occurs in less than half of patients, and it occurs after the rash has appeared for some time.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): Most people with RMSF develop a rash 2 to 5 days after symptoms appear. Symptoms vary from person to person, but generally small, flat pink spots appear on the wrists and ankles.
The rash can spread from the wrists and ankles to other parts of the body. In about half of the cases, the spots turn red or purple after about a week.
Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI): People with STARI develop a rash, just like Lyme disease: a red bull’s-eye rash with a bite mark in the middle .
Tularemia: There are different types of tularemia, but the most common is an open sore at the site of the tick bite .
Ehrlichisis: Children are more likely to develop a rash than adults. The rash may be small flat red or purple spots or red skin covering small bumps.
IV. Other signs and symptoms
Even if you have Lyme disease or RMSF, you may not have a rash. So it’s best to be aware of other symptoms.
Most diseases carried by ticks cause flu-like symptoms, such as:
Body pain;
chills;
feeling very tired;
Fever;
Headache;
People with Lyme disease may also experience pain in their joints.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
5. When should patients seek medical attention?
Tick-borne diseases must be treated early. Grab found ticks and place in an airtight container. Ticks can be sent for testing to learn about diseases they carry.
See your doctor if:
1. The tick cannot be completely removed;
2. Causes a rash (the disappearance of the rash does not mean the disease disappears);
3. Flu-like symptoms, with or without a rash;
4. If you see red streaks or yellow fluid oozing from the bite, it means the bite is infected.
Some patients have more severe reactions to bites and should seek immediate medical attention:
Allergic reactions. These reactions can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.
Tick paralysis. Tick paralyzed patients will be unable to move. Paralysis usually disappears within 24 hours after the tick is removed.
Patients should call 120 or go to the emergency room if they have any of the following symptoms:
Unable to move an arm, leg, or part of the face.
Difficulty breathing.
The heart feels like it is throbbing, skipping, or beating too fast or too hard.
The headache gets worse.
A sore arm or leg.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
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