How to Tell a Tick Bite

A tick bite can cause infection.

Spending time outdoors in woodsy or brushy areas carries with it a risk of encountering a tick. Ticks are external blood-sucking parasites, and their bites can cause serious illness. After spending time outside, you should look for evidence of tick bites. You can tell a tick bite by examining the skin for irritation.

Things You'll Need

• Tweezers
• Disinfectant spray or liquid

Instructions

1. Look for red, swollen or painful areas on your skin. Ticks often crawl to the head of a host to feed. Check areas where you have crevices, such as armpits, the backs of of your knees and your pubic area.

2. Check for any ticks still attached to your skin. If you find a tick embedded in the skin, pull it straight out by grasping the head with tweezers. Do not squeeze or crush the tick with the tweezers.

3. Wash the area with a disinfecting spray or liquid to remove germs. Wash your hands well after touching a tick.

4. Watch for signs of illness. Deer ticks can transmit Lyme disease, according to the American Lyme Disease Foundation. If you have Lyme disease, you will notice a rash that expands out from the bite site, in the shape of a bull's eye. The rash usually appears one to two weeks after a deer tick bite. You will also experience fever, joint pain and general malaise.

Tips & Warnings

• Undress immediately after coming indoors. If you have a tick on your body, according to the Ohio State University Tick Bite fact sheet, the tick will not generally bite for about 24 hours.

• See a doctor immediately if you suspect a tick bite and you have symptoms of infection. Even if you cannot find evidence of a tick bite, if you suffer these symptoms and it's possible you have come into contact with ticks, see a physician.

References

• Ohio State University: Tick Bite Fact Sheet
• American Lyme Disease Foundation: Lyme Disease
• Bite Remedy: Tick Bites