About Tick Bites
Ticks are small arachnid parasites that fasten onto the skin and feed on the blood of humans and animals from a single bite. Tick bites typically occur during early spring and late summer in areas that are heavily populated with wild birds and animals. There are more than 850 tick species and about 100 of them are capable of transmitting diseases.
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Symptoms
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For the most part, tick bites are painless and do not cause symptoms. However, there are occasions where symptoms will be present as a result of a reaction to the tick secretion. Some of the symptoms includ; fever, headaches, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, fatigue, muscle pain and muscle weakness. In addition, there are also some skin reactions that will indicate a tick bite. These skin reactions include pus-filled bumps and nodules (small node). Tick paralysis can also occur, however, this is rare.
Home Treatment
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Tick bites can be treated at home or you can seek medical treatment. It is important to remember that a tick needs to be removed from the skin. They can transmit diseases and cause severe muscle weakness that ultimately can result in death. If you are unsure how to do this, seek medical attention. Using the common at-home treatment can increase your chance of infection. Methods of removal that provoke the tick to spit out even a small amount of its meal or pass saliva back to the host will increase your risk of disease transmission. The most common way to remove a tick is by using tweezers.
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Medical Treatment
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Seek medical attention if you do not know how to remove a tick and if the tick is buried deep into your skin. Your medical practitioner will give you the proper treatment based on the type of tick, length attachment and the symptoms you have. Some of the basic medical treatments are cleansing, antibiotic cream, Benadryl (for itching) and oral antibiotics. Remember the type of treatment depends on your symptoms and the type of tick bite you have.
Prevention
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Tick bites can be prevented by applying insect repellent. Follow the direction on the label, especially when using on children. Some repellents can only be safely applied to clothing and not the skin, so read the instructions. For applying repellent on children, use a lower concentration repellent. Never put repellent on young children's hands, because they will often put their hands in their mouth. When returning from outside, wash off repellent with soap and water. In addition, when possible wear light colored clothing that covers your arms and legs.
Duration
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Tick bites usually do not cause symptoms; however there are occasions where you might develop fever, headaches, flu-like symptoms, etc. These symptoms will normally go away within 24 to 36 hours after the tick is removed. If you have a skin reaction and as a result pus-filled bumps appear, these usually improve within two days.
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