Ticks are small spiderlike animals (arachnids) that bite to fasten themselves onto the skin and feed on blood. Ticks live in the fur and feathers of many birds and animals. Tick bites occur most often during early spring to late summer and in areas where there are many wild animals and birds.

Most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. But it is important to remove a tick as soon as you find it. Removing the tick's body helps you avoid diseases the tick may pass on during feeding. Removing the tick's head helps prevent an infection in the skin where it bit you. See the Home Treatment section of this topic for the best way to remove a tick.

Usually, removing the tick, washing the site of the bite, and watching for signs of illness are all that is needed. When you have a tick bite, it is important to determine whether you need a tetanus shot to prevent tetanus (lockjaw).

Some people may have an allergic reaction to a tick bite. This reaction may be mild, with a few annoying symptoms. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) may occur.

Many of the diseases ticks carry cause flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and muscle aches. Symptoms may begin from 1 day to 3 weeks after the tick bite. Sometimes a rash or sore appears along with the flu-like symptoms. Common tick-borne diseases include:

• Lyme disease.
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
• Tularemia.
• Ehrlichiosis.
• Relapsing fever.
• Colorado tick fever.
• Babesiosis.

Tick paralysis is a rare problem that may occur after a tick bite. In some parts of the world, tick bites may cause other tick-borne diseases, such as South African tick-bite fever.

Review the Emergencies and Check Your Symptoms sections to determine if and when you need to see a doctor.

Emergencies

Do you have any of the following symptoms that require emergency treatment? Call 911 or other emergency services immediately.

• Signs of shock occur:
  • In children.
  • In adults and older children.
• Moderate to severe difficulty breathing occurs:
  • In children.
  • In adults and older children.
• A previous severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) occurred to a similar bite or sting.
• Rapid swelling of the throat or tongue develops.
• An uncontrolled jerking of muscles (seizure) develops along with unresponsiveness. See how to protect a person from harm during a seizure.

Check Your Symptoms

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

If you have any of the following symptoms, evaluate those symptoms first.

• Mild difficulty breathing or wheezing or hives: Go to the topic Allergic Reaction.

Yes

Have you developed signs of tick paralysis?

See significance of signs of tick paralysis if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Call your health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Are you unable to move one or both of your hands or feet (paralysis)?

Yes

Do you have tingling (paresthesia), numbness, or loss of feeling that started in one or both of your hands or feet?

Yes

Do you have any difficulty swallowing or talking?

Yes

Do you have any facial paralysis?

Yes

Do you have double vision?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Do you think you have a skin infection at the site of a tick bite?

See significance of a skin infection if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Call your health professional immediately if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Do you have diabetes?

Yes

Do you have peripheral arterial disease?

Yes

Do you have a disease or take medicine that causes problems with your immune system?

Yes

Do you have red streaks leading from the bite?

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Do you have increased pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the bite?

Yes

Do you have pus in or around the site of the bite?

Yes

Do you know or think you have a fever?

You may wait to see if the symptoms improve over the next 24 hours (or specified time period) if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Have you had mild pain and swelling with redness less than 1 in. (2.5 cm) around the bite for 24 hours or longer?

Yes

Have you had swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, or groin for 24 hours or longer?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Have you developed any flu-like symptoms within 6 weeks of a known or suspected tick bite?

See significance of flu-like symptoms after a tick bite if you need information to help you answer the question below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to the following question.

Yes

Do you have 2 or more of the following flu-like symptoms?

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches (myalgia)
• General feeling of illness (malaise)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rash

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Do you have a rash or sore?

See significance of a rash or sore if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Do you have a new rash after a tick bite?

Yes

Do you have a sore at the site of a tick bite?

Yes

Do you have an expanding red rash at the site of a tick bite or on another part of your body within 4 weeks of the bite?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Are you unwilling or unable to remove a tick?

See significance of removing a tick if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Note:

For instructions on how to remove a tick, see the Home Treatment section.

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Are you unwilling to remove the tick yourself?

Yes

Are you unable to remove the entire tick?

Yes

Are you unsure whether you removed the entire tick?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Yes

Do you know or think you need a tetanus shot?

See significance of getting a tetanus shot if you need information to help you answer the questions below.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

Note:

If you need a tetanus shot, call your doctor to arrange for a shot. Your need for a tetanus shot depends on the seriousness of your wound and your tetanus shot history. Your doctor may be able to tell you over the telephone if you need a tetanus shot.

Call your health professional today if you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions.

Yes

Are you worried that the bite area has gotten dirty or has germs on it and your last tetanus shot was longer than 5 years ago?

Note:

Something is dirty if it has dirt, soil, spit, or feces on it.

Yes

Are you not sure when you had your last tetanus shot?

Yes

Did you not get the first series of tetanus shots?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

If a visit to a health professional is not needed immediately, see the Home Treatment section for self-care information.

Home Treatment

There are several things you can do to protect yourself from the diseases ticks may carry. The sooner ticks are removed, the less likely they are to spread disease.

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove a tick. If you don't have tweezers, put on gloves or cover your hands with tissue paper, then use your fingers. Do not handle the tick with bare hands.
  • Grab the tick as close to its mouth (the part that is stuck in your skin) as you can. The body of the tick will be above your skin.
  • Do not grab the tick around its bloated belly. You might push infected fluid from the tick into your body if you squeeze it.
  • Pull the tick straight out until its mouth lets go of your skin. Do not twist or "unscrew" the tick. This may separate the head from the body.
• Do not try to smother a tick that is attached to your skin with petroleum jelly, nail polish, gasoline, or rubbing alcohol. This may increase your risk of infection.
• Do not try to burn the tick while it is attached to your skin.
• Put the tick in a dry jar or ziplock bag and save it in the freezer for later identification if necessary.
• Wash the area of the tick bite with a lot of warm water and soap. A mild dishwashing soap, such as Ivory, works well.
• If a bite becomes irritated, apply an antibiotic ointment, such as bacitracin or polymyxin B sulfate, and cover it with an adhesive bandage. The ointment will keep the bite from sticking to the bandage. Note: Stop using the ointment if the skin under the bandage begins to itch or a rash develops. The ointment may be causing a skin reaction.
• After you remove the tick, wash your hands really well with soap and water.

When you return home from areas where ticks might live, carefully examine your skin and scalp for ticks. Check your pets, too.

Home treatment to help relieve pain and itching

• Apply an ice pack to your bite for 15 to 20 minutes once an hour for the first 6 hours. When you are not using ice, keep a cool, wet cloth on the bite for up to 6 hours.
• Try a nonprescription medicine for the relief of itching, redness, and swelling. Be sure to follow the nonprescription medicine precautions.
  • An antihistamine medicine, such as Benadryl or Chlor-Trimeton, may help relieve itching, redness, and swelling. Don't give antihistamines to your child unless you've checked with the doctor first.
  • A spray of local anesthetic containing benzocaine, such as Solarcaine, may help relieve pain. If your skin reacts to the spray, stop using it.
  • Calamine lotion applied to the skin may help relieve itching.
• After the first 6 hours, if there is no swelling, try putting a warm washcloth on the bite for comfort.

Symptoms to Watch For During Home Treatment

Use the Check Your Symptoms section to evaluate your symptoms if any of the following occur during home treatment:

• New or different symptoms develop.
• An expanding red rash develops.
• Flu-like symptoms develop.
• A rash or sore develops.
• Symptoms of a skin infection develop.
• Symptoms become more severe or more frequent.

Prevention

To prevent tick bites:

• Apply an insect repellent. Use insect repellents according to the directions on the label, particularly when applying repellent to children.
• Apply repellents safely. Some insect repellents can only be safely applied to clothing rather than skin.
  • Use a lower-concentration repellent on children.
  • Do not put repellent on small children's hands, since they often put their hands in their mouths.
  • Wash the insect repellent off with soap and water after returning indoors.
• Cover as much of your skin as possible when working or playing in grassy or wooded areas. Wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants with the legs tucked into your socks. Keep in mind that it is easier to spot ticks on light-colored clothes. If you think you may have a tick on your clothing, put your clothing in a clothes dryer for 10 to 15 minutes to kill the tick.
• Wear gloves when you handle animals or work in the woods.
• Take steps to control ticks on your property if you live in an area where Lyme disease is prevalent. Clearing leaves, brush, tall grasses, woodpiles, and stone fences from around your house and the edges of your yard or garden may help reduce the tick population and the rodent population that the ticks depend on. Remove plants that attract deer, and use barriers to keep deer—and the deer ticks they may carry—out of your yard. Treating yards with chemicals that kill ticks (ascaricides) is sometimes effective but exposes you and your pets to chemicals that may not be safe. You may choose to treat your lawn for ticks with nonchemical or environmentally safe methods instead. Call your local landscaping nursery or county extension office for more information.
• Stay away from tick-infested areas.

For information on how to specifically prevent Lyme disease, see the topic Lyme Disease.

Preparing For Your Appointment

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:

• When were you bitten? How many times were you bitten? If you saved the tick, bring it with you to your doctor's appointment. If not, be prepared to describe the tick.
• What are your main symptoms?
• When did your symptoms begin? How have your symptoms developed, progressed, or changed since the bite?
• What home treatment have you tried? Did it help?
• When was your last tetanus shot?
• Have you traveled in the wilderness or in another country recently?
• Do you have any health risks?

Related Information

• Allergic Reaction
• Insect Bites and Stings and Spider Bites
• Lyme Disease
• Rash, Age 11 and Younger
• Rash, Age 12 and Older