Tick bite Health Article

Definition

Ticks are small, insect-like creatures that can attach to you as you brush past bushes, plants, and grass. Once on you, ticks often move to a warm, moist location, like the armpits, groin, and hair. At that point they typically attach firmly to your skin and begin to draw blood.

Ticks can be fairly large -- about the size of a pencil eraser -- or so small that they are almost impossible to see. Ticks can cause a variety of health conditions ranging from harmless to serious.

This article describes the effects of a tick bite.

See also: Tick removal

Poisonous Ingredient

Hard- and soft-bodied female ticks are believed to make a poison that can cause tick paralysis in children.

While most ticks do not carry diseases, some ticks can carry bacteria that can cause:

• Colorado tick fever
• Lyme disease
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Tularemia

Where Found

Ticks live in wooded or grassy fields.

Symptoms

Watch for the symptoms of tick-borne diseases in the weeks following a tick bite -- muscle or joint aches, stiff neck, headache, weakness, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and other flu-like symptoms. Watch for a red spot or rash starting at the location of the bite.

The symptoms below refer more to the problems resulting from the bite itself, not the diseases that a bite may cause. Some of the symptoms are specific to one variety of tick or another but not necessarily common to all ticks.

• Apnea (breathing stopped)
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of movement (paralysis)
• Severe pain at bite site (some varieties), lasting for several weeks
• Swelling at bite site (some varieties)
• Weakness
• Uncoordinated movement

Home Treatment

Remove the tick (see tick removal). Be careful not to leave the tick's head stuck in the skin.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

• Patient's age, weight, and condition
• Type of insect
• Time the bite occurred
• Part of the body affected