Ticks are small spiderlike animals. They bite to fasten themselves onto your skin and feed on your blood.
Ticks can carry diseases. But most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems.
Some people may have an allergic reaction to a tick bite. This reaction may be mild, with symptoms like itching and swelling. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction may occur.
Most of the time, all you need to do for a tick bite is relieve any symptoms you may have.
Most ticks don't carry diseases. But if they do carry a disease, it can be passed on when they bite.
Many of the diseases ticks pass to humans can cause flu-like symptoms, including:
A doctor can evaluate the cause of your flu-like symptoms and recommend treatment.
Most ticks don't carry diseases. And most tick bites don't cause serious health problems. But it's important to avoid tick bites so you can avoid diseases such as Lyme disease that the tick may pass on during feeding and avoid a skin infection from a bite.
Try these tips for avoiding ticks.
Learn where ticks and deer that carry ticks are found in your community.
Wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants with the legs tucked into your socks. Keep in mind that it's easier to spot ticks on light-colored clothes.
You can also buy clothing already treated with permethrin.
Also clear woodpiles and stone fences, and clear the edges of your yard or garden. This may help reduce ticks and the rodents that the ticks depend on.
Deer often carry deer ticks. Remove plants that attract deer. And use barriers to keep deer out.
Call your local landscaping nursery or county extension office to see if your yard can be treated with nonchemical or environmentally safe methods.
Diseases ticks may pass to humans include:
In some parts of the world, tick bites may cause other tick-borne diseases, such as South African tick-bite fever.
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.
Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove a tick.
Here are some things you should not do:
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
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