Here’s exactly what to do after a tick bite

No matter how careful you are and how much DEET you apply, you could eventually end up victim of a tick bite. The number of cases of tick-borne illnesses in the United States – primarily Lyme disease – has more than doubled in the past decade, according to a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But while it can be scary to look down and see a little black or brown creature stuck on you, there’s no reason to panic.

Here’s your step-by-step guide to treating a tick bite.

It is normal to panic if you see a tick on you. But the risk of contracting a tick-borne infection is actually quite low, because the majority of ticks do not carry disease, reassures Michael Cameron, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. .

Because the deer tick that spreads Lyme disease feeds for more than 36 hours before transmitting the bacteria, the risk of getting Lyme disease from an actual tick bite is only 1. 2 to 1.4 percent, even if you live in a part of the country where the disease is common, according to UptoDate.

The CDC has very specific instructions on how to remove a tick, because if you do it the wrong way around you can get parts of the creature stuck in your skin.

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick. Get as close to the skin as possible.
2. Pull upward with constant, even pressure. Do not twist or shake the tick, as this may break part of it.

In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.Do not use the following:In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.

• Smoldering match or cigarette
• Nail polish
• Vaseline
• Liquid soap
• Kerosene

While these are all folk home remedies, they won’t dislodge the tick, says Michael Zimring, MD, director of the Center for Wilderness and Travel Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore and co-author of the book.Healthy travelIn fact, it can make things worse, as it can irritate the tick and cause it to release more fluid into the bite.

Once you’ve removed the tick, clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

You’ll want to share information with your doctor, through UptoDate:

• In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.Brown is the size of a poppy seed or pencil eraserare deer ticks. They are the ones that can transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, as well as other tick-borne infections like babesiosis.
• In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.Brown ticks with a white collarare probably dog ​​ticks. They can be carriers of another serious tick-borne infection called Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
• In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.A brown to black tick with a white spot on its backis a Lone Star tick. It can spread southern tick-associated skin disease (STARI), which causes a rash similar to what you see with Lyme disease.

• In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.If the tick was small and easy to remove, This is a good sign that he did not transmit Lyme disease or any other infection because he had not yet started a blood meal.
• In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.If the tick was larger, with a globular shape, He has had a blood meal, and there is a higher risk that he could transmit a tick-borne disease. It must have fed for at least 36 hours to spread Lyme disease; it is not known how long it needs to stay attached to transmit other infections.

You probably don’t need to take it to your health care provider, says Dr. Cameron. Labs that test for ticks are not required to meet the same quality standards as labs used by clinics or hospitals, according to the CDC.

“A positive test can also be misleading, because even if a tick contains bacteria, it does not mean you have been infected with it,” says Dr Zimring.

In some cases, your doctor will want to treat you with a preventative dose of the antibiotic doxycycline if you meet all of the following criteria, according to the Infectious Disease Society of America:

• The tick was probably a deer tick.
• The tick is estimated to have remained attached for 36 hours or more (depending on the tick’s engorged state or time since exposure outdoors).
• It’s within 72 hours of tick removal.
• The bite occurred in an area with a high incidence of Lyme disease, such as Pennsylvania, New York State, New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire or Wisconsin. (You can search for your state here.)

If you meet all of the above criteria, your doctor will likely prescribe a single 200 mg dose of doxycycline.

If you can’t be treated right away, you’ll just need to watch for symptoms for the next 30 days. You do not need to be tested for Lyme disease.

“Antibodies can take several weeks to develop, so you can be negative if it’s a very recent infection,” says Dr. Cameron.

Plus, if you’ve ever had Lyme disease, the antibodies can stay in your blood for months or even years, so a positive test doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sick, adds Dr. Zimring.

Instead, watch for a rash. About 80 percent of people with Lyme disease develop a rash, also called erythema migrans.

While most of the time when you think of the “classic” rash when it comes to Lyme disease, it can also show up as a red rash, says Dr. Cameron. Common areas include in and around the ears or hair, under your arms, inside your belly button, around your waist, between your legs, or behind your knees.

• Fever
• Extreme fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Joint swelling and pain

Most people don’t notice itching and swelling around the bite, although it can, especially as part of an allergic reaction.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

The good news is that early Lyme disease can be easily treated with oral antibiotics, usually doxycycline for two to three weeks, or, if for some reason you cannot take this, amoxicillin or cefuroxime.

While you may have heard of Lyme disease long term, it’s a myth, says Dr. Zimring. But between 10 and 20 percent of people develop post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), a condition where symptoms persist for up to six months, according to an August 2018 article inThe New England Journal of Medicine.

“This may be because the bacteria that cause Lyme disease trigger an autoimmune response that causes symptoms even after the infection itself has cleared,” says Dr. Zimring. “Usually this resolves over time.”