Topic Overview
Ticks are small spiderlike animals (arachnids) that
bite to fasten themselves onto the skin and feed on blood. Ticks live in the
fur and feathers of many birds and animals. Tick bites occur most often during
early spring to late summer and in areas where there are many wild animals and
birds.
Most ticks don't carry diseases, and most tick bites don't
cause serious health problems. But it is important to remove a tick as soon as
you find it. Removing the tick's body helps you avoid diseases the tick may
pass on during feeding. Removing the tick's head helps prevent an infection in
the skin where it bit you. See Home Treatment for the
best way to remove a tick.
Usually, removing the tick, washing the
site of the bite, and watching for signs of illness are all that is needed.
When you have a tick bite, it is important to determine whether you need a
tetanus shot to prevent
tetanus (lockjaw).
Some people may have an
allergic reaction to a tick bite. This reaction may be mild, with a few
annoying symptoms. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) may occur.
Many of the
diseases ticks carry cause flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, nausea,
vomiting, and muscle aches. Symptoms may begin from 1 day to 3 weeks after the
tick bite. Sometimes a rash or sore appears along with the flu-like symptoms.
Common tick-borne diseases include:
Tick paralysis is a rare problem that may occur after
a tick bite. In some parts of the world, tick bites may cause other tick-borne
diseases, such as
South African tick-bite fever.
Check your symptoms to decide if and when you should see a
doctor.
Check Your Symptoms
Home Treatment
Most ticks don't carry diseases, and most tick bites don't cause
serious health problems. The sooner
ticks are removed, the less likely they are to spread
disease.
Some ticks are so small that it is hard to see them. This makes it hard to
tell whether you have removed the tick's head. If you do not see any obvious
parts of the tick's head in the bite site, assume you have removed the entire
tick, but watch for
signs of a skin infection.
- Use
fine-tipped tweezers to remove a tick. If you don't
have tweezers, put on gloves or cover your hands with tissue paper, then use
your fingers. Do not handle the tick with bare hands.
- Grab the tick as close to its mouth (the part that is stuck in your skin) as you can.
- The body of the tick will be above your skin.
Do not grab the tick around its swollen belly. You might push infected fluid from the tick into your body if you squeeze it.
- Pull the tick straight out until its mouth lets go of your skin. Do not twist the tick. This may break off the tick's body and leave the head in your skin.
- Do not try to smother a tick that is attached to
your skin with petroleum jelly, nail polish, gasoline, or rubbing alcohol. This
may increase your risk of infection.
- Do not try to burn the tick
while it is attached to your skin.
- Put the tick in a dry jar or
ziplock bag and save it in the freezer for later identification if
necessary.
- Wash the area of the tick bite with a lot of warm water
and soap. A mild dishwashing soap, such as Ivory, works well.
- If a
bite becomes irritated, apply an antibiotic ointment, such as bacitracin or
polymyxin B sulfate, and cover it with an adhesive bandage. The ointment will
keep the bite from sticking to the bandage. Note: Stop
using the ointment if the skin under the bandage begins to itch or a rash
develops. The ointment may be causing a skin reaction.
- After you
remove the tick,
wash your hands really well with soap and water.
When you return home from areas where ticks might live,
carefully examine your skin and scalp for ticks. Check your pets, too.
Home treatment to help relieve pain and itching
- Apply an
ice pack to your bite for 15 to 20 minutes once an hour for the first 6
hours. When you are not using ice, keep a cool, wet cloth on the bite for up to
6 hours.
- Try a nonprescription medicine for the relief of itching,
redness, and swelling. Be sure to follow the
nonprescription medicine precautions.
- An
antihistamine medicine, such as Benadryl or
Chlor-Trimeton, may help relieve itching, redness, and swelling. Don't give
antihistamines to your child unless you've checked with the doctor first.
- A spray of
local anesthetic containing benzocaine, such as Solarcaine, may help relieve
pain. If your skin reacts to the spray, stop using it.
- Calamine
lotion applied to the skin may help relieve itching.
- After the first 6 hours, if there is no swelling,
try putting a warm washcloth on the bite for comfort.
Medicine you can buy without a prescription| Try a nonprescription
medicine to help treat your fever or pain: |
|---|
Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and
forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two
medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine. |
Safety tips| Be sure to follow
these safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine: |
|---|
- Carefully read and follow all
directions on the medicine bottle and box.
- Do not take more than
the recommended dose.
- Do not take a medicine if you have had an
allergic reaction to it in the past.
- If
you have been told to avoid a medicine, call your doctor before you take
it.
- If you are or could be pregnant, do not take any medicine other
than acetaminophen unless your doctor has told you to.
- Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than age 20 unless your doctor tells you to.
|
Symptoms to watch for during home treatment
Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home
treatment:
Prevention
To prevent tick bites:
- Apply an
insect repellent. Use insect repellents according to
the directions on the label, particularly when applying repellent to
children.
- Apply repellents safely. Some insect repellents can
only be safely applied to clothing rather than skin.
- Use a lower-concentration repellent on
children.
- Do not put repellent on small children's hands, since
they often put their hands in their mouths.
- Wash the insect
repellent off with soap and water after returning indoors.
- Cover as much of your skin as possible when working
or playing in grassy or wooded areas. Wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and
long pants with the legs tucked into your socks. Keep in mind that it is easier
to spot ticks on light-colored clothes. If you think you may have a tick on
your clothing, put your clothing in a clothes dryer for 10 to 15 minutes to
kill the tick.
- Wear gloves when you handle animals or work in the
woods.
- Take steps to control ticks on your property if you live in
an area where Lyme disease is prevalent. Clearing leaves, brush, tall grasses,
woodpiles, and stone fences from around your house and the edges of your yard
or garden may help reduce the tick population and the rodent population that
the ticks depend on. Remove plants that attract deer, and use barriers to keep
deer—and the deer ticks they may carry—out of your yard. Treating yards with
chemicals that kill ticks (ascaricides) is sometimes effective but exposes you
and your pets to chemicals that may not be safe. You may choose to treat your
lawn for ticks with nonchemical or environmentally safe methods instead. Call
your local landscaping nursery or county extension office for more
information.
- Stay away from tick-infested areas.
For information on how to specifically prevent Lyme disease,
see the topic
Lyme Disease.
Preparing For Your Appointment
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
You can help your
doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the
following questions:
- When were you bitten? How many times were you
bitten? If you saved the tick, bring it with you to your doctor's appointment.
If not, be prepared to describe the tick.
- What are your main
symptoms?
- When did your symptoms begin? How have your symptoms
developed, progressed, or changed since the bite?
- What home
treatment have you tried? Did it help?
- When was your last
tetanus shot?
- Have you traveled in the
wilderness or in another country recently?
- Do you have any
health risks?
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine |
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| Last Revised | December 23, 2011 |
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