What Does a Tick Bite Look Like?

What do tick bites look like? There's a good chance you will not even know a tick has bitten you unless you find one still attached to your skin. Tick bites on humans are nearly invisible, unlike mosquito bites, which often cause a reaction right away.

You probably will not start paying attention to a tick bite unless you develop an infection or allergic reaction. Tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), for example, cause a distinct circular rash and flu-like symptoms.

Your first thought may be about the harmful infections ticks can transmit if you are in an area where they are common. Ticks need to stay attached to the skin for quite some time to transmit illness-causing bacteria. Read on to learn what a tick bite looks like, including tick bite pictures, treatments, and more.

What Does a Tick Look Like?

There are over 800 types of ticks, which are parasites that range in color and size. Ticks can be reddish-brown or dark brown and so small that you cannot see them. These parasites, which are similar to insects, have eight legs.

Where Do Ticks Bite People?

You might get a tick on you if you walk through grassy fields or wooded areas. A tick will attach to your clothing and then move to a moist, warm body part like the armpits, groin, or hair. The parasite bites into your skin to draw blood. Most tick bites are not harmful, but some can transmit disease-causing bacteria.

How Do You Know if You're Been Bitten by a Tick?

Localized skin infections are not the only complications these bites can cause. Ticks can transmit dangerous bacteria that cause Lyme disease, RMSF, and other diseases like southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).

The bite itself will not look any different from other tick bites if a tick bites you and transmits one of those diseases. The resulting infection may show up as a rash on your skin. Lyme disease causes a red rash, or erythema migrans (EM), which shows up as a bull's-eye ring pattern. The rash typically grows over time and feels warm to the touch.

RMSF, one of the deadliest tick-borne diseases, causes a rash with small red patches dotting the skin. The rash is typically not itchy. It usually begins two to four days after a tick bite and consists of flat, pink spots that usually start on the hands, arms, feet, and legs.

There are between 4,000 and 6,000 cases of spotted fever each year, including RMSF and others. The highest rates occur during the summer months. However, if you live in a warmer climate, you can still get bitten by ticks in the spring and fall or at any time of the year.

The rash from a lone star tick bite, which can cause STARI, can present similarly to Lyme disease. The bull's-eye rash typically develops within seven days after a tick bite and can grow up to three inches or larger.

Tick Bites vs. Other Insect Bite Stings

It can be hard to tell the difference between tick bites and other insect bites and stings. The main difference is that mosquito bites and other insect bites typically cause an immediate reaction. The saliva of many biting insects contains a protein that causes itching, redness, and swelling.

Tick saliva, in contrast, contains immunosuppressants. You will usually not notice that a tick has bitten you unless you spot it on your skin or later develop a reaction. A tick bite rash usually develops within a few days but can take up to two weeks.

Symptoms of Tick-Borne Diseases

Tick-borne diseases usually cause flu-like symptoms in addition to a rash. These include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle or joint aches
• Stiff neck
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Weakness

What To Do After Identifying a Tick Bite

It's possible to have the tick tested for diseases. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend this practice for several reasons. There are no high standards of quality for labs that test ticks.

It also does not mean you were infected if the tick tests positive. A negative test, in contrast, does not mean you were not infected and can create false assurance. The CDC says you'll probably have symptoms before you even have the tick's test results back if you acquire a tick-borne illness disease. Watch out for symptoms like a rash, fever, and muscle aches and pains.

How To Remove a Tick

You have probably caught a tick in the act if you see one on your body, and it does not brush off easily. It's important to remove a tick the right way with a set of tweezers. The CDC advises using fine-tipped tweezers to perform the job. You can also use a tool made specifically to remove ticks.

Pull gently and then straight up. A sudden, violent pull or twisting of the tweezers could dislodge the tick's head, which could then stay in your skin. Do not try extreme removal procedures, such as smothering the tick with petroleum jelly or burning it off.

The CDC recommends cleaning the site of the tick bite. Use rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet, placing it into a sealed container or plastic bag, or wrapping it in tape. Do not try to crush the tick with your fingers.

Treatment

The CDC does not advise antibiotics to prevent tick-borne diseases after a tick bite. It's important to remove the tick as soon as you spot it and then watch for symptoms for at least 30 days.

Contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash or have flu-like symptoms. A healthcare provider will prescribe antibiotics to treat Lyme disease and RMSF. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely you are to make a full recovery. It's unclear whether antibiotics treat STARI. A healthcare provider will likely prescribe antibiotics since the disease resembles early Lyme disease.

When To Contact a Healthcare Provider

Keep an eye out for a circular rash for at least 30 days after a tick bite. Contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash or have flu-like symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment increase your chances of a full recovery. Tick-borne diseases can lead to complications if untreated.

Complications include:

• Heart, kidney, or lung failure
• Memory problems
• Meningitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes)
• Nerve damage
• Numbness, pain, or paralysis
• Shock
• Sleep disorders
• Trouble concentrating
• Vision problems

Prevention

Tick bites can happen year-round but are most common from April to September when the weather is warm. People who live in brushy, grassy, or wooded areas are most likely to come into contact with ticks.

Tick bites can be scary, but you can prevent them with a little planning. Ways to prevent tick bites include:

• Avoiding brushy, grassy, or wooded areas, especially when it's warm outside
• Checking your children and pets for ticks
• Taking off and checking your clothing for ticks after being outside
• Treating your clothing and other items (e.g., backpack) with products that contain 0.5% permethrin
• Using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved insect repellent that contains picaridin or DEET
• Washing your clothing in hot water
• Wearing light-colored clothing and tucking your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants

A Quick Review

You likely will not notice a tick bite unless you find the tick attached to your skin or develop a tick-borne disease. Symptoms usually include a distinct, circular rash and flu-like symptoms.

It's important to contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop these symptoms. The earlier you treat a tick-borne disease, the likelier you are to make a full recovery.

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