Treating And Preventing Tick Bites

Ticks are small, blood-sucking bugs. They can range in size from as small as a pin’s head to as large as a pencil eraser. Ticks will bite humans, and knowing how to treat and prevent tick bites is important.

This year, the tick population is expected to surge due to a mild winter and early spring as well as abundant rainfall. Also, people who have been getting outdoors because of the coronavirus pandemic are encountering the insects more frequently.

What Are Tick Bites?

Tick bites are bites that are caused by a small external parasitic arachnid, commonly called a tick. Ticks have eight legs and survive by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Ticks are 3-5 mm in size, depending on different factors.

Ticks are very common in the cool, wet forests across the Mid-Atlantic states and can be found in tall grass, loose leaves, shrubs, bushes, in woodpiles, overgrown fields and unkempt tree lines.

“In Indiana specifically, the American dog tick, blacklegged tick, brown dog tick, and Lone Star tick are the commonly found disease-spreading ticks,” said Kayla Ogden, FNP-C, nurse practitioner at Franciscan Physician Network Northside Family and Internal Medicine in Crawfordsville.

When Is Tick Season?

Many people think that you can only get tick bites during a certain season, but this is not the case.

“There is no specific time of year. Ticks are around all year long. However, there are certain areas that are higher during certain times, like wooded areas,” said Robert P. Marino, DO, occupational medicine physician at Franciscan WorkingWell Michigan City.

What Are Symptoms Of A Tick Bite?

Many tickborne diseases can have similar signs and symptoms. According to the CDC, the most common symptoms of tick-related illnesses are:

• Fever/chills: With all tickborne diseases, patients can experience fever at varying degrees and time of onset.
• Aches and pains: Tickborne disease symptoms include headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. With Lyme disease you may also experience joint pain. The severity and time of onset of these symptoms can depend on the disease and the patient’s personal tolerance level.
• Rash: Lyme disease, southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, and tularemia can result in distinctive rashes.

Dr. Marino stated that irritation to the area is normal. “Irritation, pain and redness are standard for tick bites and are non-concerning symptoms. If the area gets infected, warm, very red or you start to develop flu-like symptoms, you should call your doctor.”

What To Do If You Have A Tick Bite?

If you have a tick bite and the tick is still attached to the skin, it will need to be removed. Removing ticks can often be done at home.

“The key is to remove the tick as soon as possible, using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can, pulling upward with steady, even pressure,” Ogden said. “Don’t twist or jerk the tick.”

“It will hurt, but don’t panic. Avoid any myths about tick removal and use tweezers. You should have something to catch the tick,” said Dr. Marino. “Also, keep the area clean using soap and water.”

Should I Be Worried If I Have A Tick Bite?

Most tick bites are harmless, and the spread of disease by ticks is rare.

“Patients should reach out to their primary care provider if they know that the tick was attached for greater than 36 hours, or if they are unsure of when the tick bite occurred and the tick was large at the time of removal, suggesting it has been feeding for some length of time. They should also reach out if they were able to remove the tick body, but the head is still embedding in the skin,” said Ogden. “If the tick has been attached for fewer than 36 hours, the risk of developing Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses is very low, which is the biggest concern with tick bites.”

What Are Complications Of Tick Bites?

The potential complications from a tick bite are infection with a range of bacteria that cause different illnesses, including Lyme disease.

“Symptoms of tick-borne illness include rash, particularly a bullseye appearing, skin lesion, fever, chills, fatigue, headache, neck stiffness, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, and joint swelling and pain within 30 days of the tick bite,” said Ogden.

Lyme disease occurs after being bitten by a tick that is carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. In the United States, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii. These bacteria are commonly carried by the blacklegged tick, commonly referred to as the deer tick.

“When in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out to your primary care doctor because when it comes to tick-borne illness, it is always better to be safe than sorry,” said Ogden.

How To Prevent Tick Bites

Tick bites can be prevented by:

• Covering up when in wooded or grassy areas. Wear shoes, long pants tucked into your socks, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat, and gloves. Try to stick to trails and avoid walking through low bushes and long grass.
• Use insect repellants with a 20% or higher concentration of DEET to your exposed skin. Parents should apply repellant to their children over 2 months of age, avoiding their hands, face, eyes, and mouth. Apply products with permethrin to clothing.
• Do your best to tick-proof your yard. Clear brush and leaves where ticks live. Mow your yard regularly. Stack wood neatly in dry, sunny areas to discourage rodents that carry ticks.
• Check your clothing, yourself, and your children and pets for ticks. Be especially vigilant after spending time in wooded or grassy areas. Deer ticks are often no bigger than the head of a pin, so they are easily missed.
• Shower as soon as you come indoors. “If you have been in a tick-infested area, shower right away,” Dr. Marino said. “Some ticks don’t latch for 36 hours, so showering can prevent a bite.”
• Do not assume that you are immune just because you have had Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness in the past. You can contract Lyme disease more than once.