What happens if bit by a tick

Unlike most other bugs that bite , ticks typically remain attached to your body after they bite you. After a period of up to 10 days of drawing blood from your body, an engorged tick can detach itself and fall off. Tick bites are usually harmless and may produce no symptoms. Some ticks carry diseases, which can be passed on when they bite. Tick-borne diseases can cause a variety of symptoms and usually develop within several days to a few weeks after a tick bite. Potential symptoms of tick-borne diseases include:.

Be sure to seek medical attention as soon as possible if bitten by a tick in order to be evaluated for any potential treatment. Tick bites are often easy to identify.

This is because the tick can remain attached to the skin for up to 10 days after it first bites. Most tick bites are harmless and will cause no physical signs or symptoms. Only certain types of ticks transmit disease. Most signs or symptoms of a tick-borne disease will begin to occur within a few days to a few weeks after a tick bite.

For example, in areas of the country where Lyme disease is common, it may be recommended under certain conditions that you receive treatment for Lyme disease after a tick bite even before symptoms start.

Let your doctor know that a tick recently bit you. Your doctor will complete a thorough history, exam, and testing to determine whether your symptoms are the result of a tick-borne disease. A tick may attach itself to your pet, too.

Ticks can also leave you and attach themselves to your pets. Various kinds of ticks exist in large populations throughout the country. Most states have at least one type of tick known to live there. Ticks are at their peak population in the spring and summer months, typically April through September. The most important thing to do when you find a tick on you is to remove it.

You can remove the tick yourself with a tick removal tool or with a set of tweezers. Follow these steps:. See your doctor as soon as possible to find out if any treatment is necessary based on the type of tick that bit you.

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How Do I Remove a Tick? It's important to remove a tick as soon as possible. Follow these steps: Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to the skin.

Pull firmly and steadily until the tick lets go of the skin. Do not twist the tick or rock it from side to side. Parts of the tick might stay in the skin, but eventually will come out on their own. Wash your hands and the site of the bite with soap and water.