What to do if you get a tick bite because they can have serious consequences

The weather is beautiful and the outdoor recreation opportunities are endless – what could go wrong? Of course, the compromise to spend time on the outside is about nature, which can be a terrifying prospect. Mosquitoes and ants are annoying, but other insects can actually be dangerous – like ticks. The National Library of Medicine in the United States describes ticks as "small blood-sucking parasites", which is a casual way of describing a mini-vampire. They can also carry many diseases, such as Lyme disease, tick-borne recurrent fever or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. A bite from a Lone Star tick can even cause an allergy to red meat, which is a really scary prospect. If you think you have been bitten by a tick, it may be difficult to know what to do next, but it is important to recognize the potential signs.

The first thing to do is to determine if you have actually been bitten by a tick, especially because ticks, mosquitoes and spider bites are easily confused. If you've been bitten by a tick, according to Everyday Health, the bite can cause a rash, and if this rash looks like a bullseye, it can be a sign of Lyme disease.

There is another horrible sign that you have been affected by a tick: It can still be embedded in your skin. The Johns Hopkins Medicine Lyme Disease Research Center says you will need a tweezers and a generous friend to remove the unwelcome intruder. You catch the tick with tweezers and remove it from the skin, but it may take a while to remove it. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention warns that twisting the tick can cause some of it in your skin, so you want someone with steady hands.

Mayo Clinic recommends contacting your doctor if you have difficulty removing a tick. Once you are sure that you have completely removed the tick, you should wash your hands and the area around the sting. Mayo Clinic also says to freeze the tick instead of throwing it away – if you have complications from a tick bite, having the tick on hand could help make a diagnosis.

Once a tick is gone, you must keep an eye on your skin, which will almost certainly be irritated by the encounter. If the rash gets bigger, you should see a doctor, according to Mayo Clinic. Medical care is also a necessity if you have flu-like symptoms or if the sting shows signs of infection. If you feel bad after a tick bite, the Mayo Clinic asks you to see a doctor right away.

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If you catch a tick just after it bites you, you are less likely to experience long-term side effects. Most ticks must be tied for at least 36 hours to cause Lyme disease, according to the CDC, so if you practice tick checks after being out, you have a strong chance of avoiding it. Unfortunately, ticks that cause Lyme disease can be terribly small – about the size of a seed on a bagel – and can attach in areas that you would not usually check. According to NPR, this includes your scalp, your armpits and even your groin. Lyme disease can cause complications throughout the nervous system, and it is important to consult a doctor if you think you have been touched.

Instead of locking yourself in for the rest of the year, it is best to learn more about ticks and how to avoid them. Ticks are found almost everywhere in the United States with the exception of Alaska, although some states have more tick populations than others. You can use the CDC's mapping tool to determine which insects you are interested in. You should also be careful in wooded areas and places with high grass – you are more likely to be bitten there. Try to slip your pants into your socks and use a chemical repellent when you get out of the hike – MedlinePlus says that it reduces the risk of getting bitten. If you carefully check the ticks after spending time outdoors with these precautions, you should be able to enjoy the summer without any surprise visitors.