Tick bites and what to watch out for
We get bitten by different critters which is not a big deal. You might see a small red bump or feel itchy at the spot but it goes away in a day or two. But if you get bitten by a tick then it could turn into something serious.
Ticks are tiny blood-sucking arthropods that come in two families, Ixodidae also known as hard ticks, and Argasidae, soft ticks. Both kinds contain different genera and species of ticks. Ticks carry vector-borne diseases and the toxin they release or its saliva is the root cause of diseases.
There are more than 800 species of ticks around the world and although there are other organisms that bite humans to feed on them like mosquitoes, bedbugs and fleas a tick is the most dangerous one. They require a blood meal to survive and if they don’t find a host they die.
How does a tick bite?
A tick finds a host, could be a human, dog, or any other animal, and burrows with its mouth into the skin. Tick’s mouthparts are barbed which helps it get attached to the skin. When it bites it secretes “cementum” and saliva that contains neurotoxins. These neurotoxins do not let the host feel pain or irritation and allow the tick to feed on the host easily.
Ways to identify tick bites
You can’t shoo away a tick as you do with a mosquito. It burrows its head into the skin and feeds and can stay there for days or weeks. They are very tiny and often go undetected but it swells up when it feeds on blood. When bitten by a tick you might see a small red bump but it does not get big unless it turns into a rash which actually is a sign of disease. Ticks bite in warm, moist, and hairy parts like:
Scalp
• Skin behind the ear
• Armpit
• Groin
• Skin between your fingers and toes
Once it is done feeding it falls off by itself and they don’t bite on several places. They find a place and stick there until they are full.
Tick Bite Symptoms
Not all ticks cause diseases but you might see a few symptoms when bitten like:
• A small hard bump or sore
• Redness
• Swelling
Unlike other bites, tick bites don’t usually have fluid or pus in them, unless they’re infected.
Most diseases from ticks also give you flu-like symptoms, such as:
• Body aches
• Chills
• Feeling very tired
• A fever
• A headache
Diseases that a tick can transmit:
Lyme disease: Most people see a rash when they get Lyme disease within 3 to 30 days of being bitten. A round or oval red area will be seen around the bite and it gets bigger in a few days. It can grow up to 6 inches wide. It is usually warm but does not hurt or itch.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever: A rash will appear within 2 to 5 days as the first symptom of RMSF which starts like a very small flat, pink spot on the wrist or the ankle. It spreads quickly and the spot turns red or purple in a week.
Tularemia: There are different types of tularemia but the most common one is when you get a painful open sore at the bite site.
Ehrlichiosis: Children get infected by Ehrlichiosis more often than adults. It starts with small, flat, red, or purple spots with small bumps around the bite site.
Ways to Treat a Tick Bite
You will have to remove the tick as soon as you spot one.
1. Pull it gently with tweezers without squeezing or twisting it. Make sure not to touch it with your hand and try to remove the whole tick.
2. Keep it in a sealed container for the doctor to determine the kind of tick it is and what diseases you can get from it.
3. Wash your hands and the site where it was stuck with soap and water.
When to call a doctor after you’ve been bitten by a tick
• If you were not able to pull the whole tick out
• If you see a rash on the bite site
• If you have flu-like symptoms, with or without rash
• If you see red streaks or yellow liquid oozing from the bite site.
• If you are unable to move your arms, legs, or a part of your face
• If you can’t breathe normally
• If you feel your heart skipping beats or beating too hard
• If you have a severe headache
• If you feel weakness in your arms and legs
Ways to prevent tick bites
• Avoid long grassy, brushes or wooded areas.
• Stay away from stray animals as a tick can travel from them to you easily
• Put products with 0.5% permethrin on your clothes, shoes, and gear but not the skin
• Use products with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone on your skin to help make sure ticks and other bugs buzz off.
• If you are hiking stay on the trail and avoid rubbing against trees, plants, or grass
• Check your body, pets, clothing, gear for ticks before coming indoors.
• Take a shower within 2 hours of being outdoors in running water and scrubbing with soap.
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- Comments (4)
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Gollo
2 years ago
The information about the tick bite is good and what it produces, if very true, the bites of them affect the person, so you have to be very careful and know what to do in this case.
Niria
2 years ago
I'm afraid of ticks, I have a friend, he got sick and was suffering from pain, apparently his liver inflamed and in the end it was tick disease.
Alfred
2 years ago
These insects are usually found in habitats where there are animals. In addition to affecting humans it is a danger to animals :(
Rasher
2 years ago
It is useful to know that these types of bites can harm the health of the affected person, In addition to the fact that for their extraction you have to go through a process to avoid leaving embedded remains
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