A tick bite shows up when a tick pierces the skin and attaches itself to a warm-blooded host.
Once attached, a tick may feed on its hosts blood for several days.
Ticks are parasitic arachnids that feed on blood.
Aleksey Matrenin / Getty Images
They’re usually found in wooded or grassy areas and can carry pathogens that cause illnesses.
Aleksey Matrenin / Getty Images
What Does a Tick Bite Look (and Feel) Like?
Because a ticks saliva contains a numbing agent, most tick bites are painless and initially go unnoticed.
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The sooner a tick bite is identified and the faster an attached tick is removed, the better.
The longer a tick stays attached, the greater the risk oftick-borne disease.
It is important to check your skin for ticks after being outdoors.
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A tick bite may first appear as a small bump.
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What Do Ticks Look Like?
Ticks can have a hard shell or a soft, leathery body.
Ticks often look black, but their color can range from a brownish-red mahogany to dark brown.
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A tick’s size and number of legs change during its lifecycle.
For example, as larvae, biting ticks are much smaller than one might imagine.
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A rash may develop and grow a few days after a tick bite.
Because ticks can carry such a wide variety of pathogens, symptoms will vary.
If not treated promptly, it can be deadly.
Not having the spotty rash can make diagnosis difficult.
How Are Tick Bites Treated?
Tick bite treatment involves prompt removal of any attached ticks and managing subsequent symptoms on a case-by-case basis.
For example,topical corticosteroidssuch ashydrocortisonemay be applied to the bite site to alleviate localized inflammation.
Over-the-counter (OTC)antihistaminessuch as topical or oralBenadryl(diphenhydramine) can help relieve itchiness.
Clothing can also be treated with insect repellents or permethrin to deter host-seeking ticks from attaching to fabrics.
Research suggests that people wearing permethrin-treated outfits get 3.36 times fewer tick bites than those who don’t.
Wearing light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks.
Summary
Ticks are tiny bugs that feed on blood.
A tick bite usually looks like a small bump initially but may grow into a bigger bull’s-eye rash.
It’s important to remove attached ticks promptly with tweezers as soon as they’re noticed.
Don’t burn or squish a tick.
Instead, submerge the tick in alcohol to kill it, then flush it down the toilet.
Once removed, wash the bite site with soap and water.
A thorough full-body check is key to detecting and removing ticks before they bite.
Tick bites should be taken seriously.
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