Tick bites can cause a small bump. If you experience other symptoms, such as a rash, it can indicate an allergic reaction or infection with a tick-borne disease.

Tick bites are often harmless and don’t cause any symptoms. However, ticks can cause allergic reactions, and some types can pass diseases on to humans and pets. These diseases can be dangerous or even life threatening when not treated promptly.

Ticks are common in the United States. They live outdoors in:

  • grass
  • trees
  • shrubs
  • leaf piles

They’re attracted to people and pets and can easily move between the two. If you’ve spent any time outdoors, you’ve likely encountered ticks at some point.

In this article, we help you identify ticks and tick bites, along with the symptoms of tick-borne illnesses, and learn what to do if a tick bites you.

Ticks are small, blood-sucking bugs. They range in size from as small as a pin’s head to as large as a pencil eraser. Ticks have eight legs. They’re arachnids, which means they’re related to spiders.

Different kinds of ticks range in color from shades of brown to reddish-brown and black.

As they take in more blood, ticks grow. At their largest, ticks can grow to about the size of a marble. After a tick feeds on its host for several days, it swells up and can turn a greenish-blue color.

Check out this image gallery for pictures of ticks.

Ticks prefer warm, moist areas of the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), once a tick gets on your body, it’s likely to migrate to the following areas:

  • armpits
  • groin
  • hair
  • back of your knees
  • inside your belly button
  • around your waist
  • inside and around your ears

However, ticks don’t always migrate. If you’ve been in a situation where you might have gotten a tick bite, be sure to check your entire body.

When a tick reaches a desirable spot, it attaches to the skin and begins drawing blood. Unlike most other bugs that bite, ticks typically remain attached to your body after they bite you.

You’ll likely know if a tick bites you because you’ll find a tick on your skin. You probably won’t feel the bite as it occurs.

An engorged tick typically detaches itself and falls off after a few days of drawing blood from your body.

It’s important to contact a doctor as soon as possible after a tick bite, even if you don’t have symptoms.

For example, in areas where Lyme disease is common, doctors may recommend under certain conditions that you receive treatment for Lyme disease after a tick bite, even before symptoms start.

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Ticks can remain attached to the skin for up to 2 weeks after they bite. They get bigger and easier to spot as time goes on.

Ticks typically bite once instead of in clusters or lines. Most harmless tick bites cause no physical signs or symptoms.

Some cause a red or discolored bump resembling a mosquito bite.

A Lyme disease bullseye rash can appear anywhere from 3 to 30 days after you’ve been bitten. You may also see more than one rash. The rash may get larger over several days, reaching 12 inches wide.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction to a tick bite

Tick bites are usually harmless and may produce no symptoms. But if you’re allergic to tick bites, you may experience:

Symptoms of tick-borne diseases

Ticks can pass potentially severe diseases to human hosts. Most signs or symptoms of a tick-borne disease will begin within a few days to a few weeks after a tick bite. This can vary by the specific disease.

Tick-borne diseases

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Potential symptoms of tick-borne diseases include:

Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

People who suspect they may have Rocky Mountain spotted fever should seek treatment as soon as they suspect it. Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever include:

  • vomiting
  • a sudden high fever around 102 or 103°F (38 to 39°C)
  • headache
  • abdominal pain
  • rash
  • muscle aches

Be sure to seek medical attention as soon as possible after a tick bite.

A doctor can explain your risks, what complications to look for, and when to follow up. The doctor will likely complete a thorough history, exam, and testing to determine whether your symptoms result from a tick-borne disease.

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The most important thing to do when you find a tick is to remove it. This may help stave off a tick-borne illness. Some research suggests that the longer a tick remains embedded in your skin, the greater your chance of developing a tick-borne disease.

Don’t remove it if you have an allergic reaction, as this may release more of the allergen and cause a worsening reaction.

After removing the tick, clean the area thoroughly with an antibacterial cleanser or ointment. A doctor may send the tick to a laboratory to analyze its type and determine if it is carrying any pathogens.

Place the tick into a lidded jar or sealed ziplock bag and bring it to your appointment.

Treatment depends on whether you’re experiencing an allergic reaction to the tick bite or have a tick-borne disease.

How to remove a tick

You can remove the tick yourself with a tick removal tool or a set of fine-tipped tweezers. Make sure your hands and whatever tool you use are clean, and follow these steps:

  1. Grasp the tick as close as you can to the skin’s surface.
  2. Pull straight up and away from the skin, applying steady pressure. Try not to bend or twist the tick.
  3. Check the bite site to see if you left any of the tick’s head or mouth parts in the bite. If so, remove those carefully.
  4. Clean the bite site with water and apply an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, or iodine.
  5. Once you’ve removed the tick, submerge it in rubbing alcohol to make sure it’s dead.
  6. Place it in a sealed container. Saving the tick provides evidence of a tick bite for the doctor. It might be a good idea to label the container with the date and location of the bite.
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Contact a doctor as soon as possible after you’ve been bitten by a tick. A doctor can determine if any treatment is necessary based on the type of tick that bit you.

Different parts of the country have different risks when it comes to diseases from tick bites. If you live in an urban area without many ticks and get bitten elsewhere, your usual doctor may not readily identify the tick. If that is the case and you’re uneasy, seek another opinion about treatment.

Let the doctor know if you were bitten in a location known for severe tick-borne diseases, like the Western or Northeastern United States.

You should also let the doctor know if you developed any of the following symptoms after your tick bite:

If you need help finding a primary care doctor, check out our FindCare tool here.

Preventing tick bites is the best way to avoid a tick-borne illness. Here are some prevention tips:

  • Wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants when walking in the woods or grassy areas where ticks are common.
  • Walk in the center of trails.
  • Use a tick repellent that’s at least 20% DEET.
  • Treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin.
  • Take a shower or bath within 2 hours of being outdoors.
  • Check skin closely after being in tick-prone areas, especially under arms, behind ears, between legs, behind knees, and in hair.

It typically takes more than 24 hours of feeding for a person to get a tick-borne disease. So, the sooner you can identify and remove a tick, the better.

Are tick bites itchy?

A tick bite can cause immediate, intense itching in some people due to the toxins and irritants in tick saliva. However, itching doesn’t always occur. For this reason, if you spend time in a tick-infested area, checking your whole body for ticks after you leave is important.

If a tick bite leads to Lyme disease, you can develop lesions on the skin known as erythema migrans (EM). These often don’t trigger any further symptoms, but some people report itchiness and burning around the area of the lesion.

Can you get Lyme disease if you don’t see a ring around the tick bite?

Yes. The EM rash is often a surefire sign that you’ve been bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease. However, not everyone gets the rash. Since it doesn’t itch or hurt, getting the rash and not noticing it may also be possible.

Can ticks carry diseases other than Lyme disease?

Yes. Ticks can carry many diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Fever. The diseases ticks carry vary from geographic region to region.

Where do ticks live?

Ticks live outdoors. They hide in grass, trees, shrubs, and underbrush.

If you’re outside hiking or playing, a tick might attach itself to you or your pet. Ticks may stay attached to your pet or migrate to you while you’re touching or holding your pet. They can also leave you and attach themselves to your pets.

Various kinds of ticks live in large populations throughout the country. Most states have at least one type of tick that lives there. Ticks are at their peak population in the spring and summer months, typically April through September.

What does a tick bite look like?

A tick bite may cause a small bump. Some tick-borne diseases can cause a rash. You may also develop a rash due to an allergic reaction to a tick bite. You may also discover the tick in your skin rather than notice the bite.

How do you tell if a bite is from a tick?

A tick bite can look like another insect bite. But you may identify the tick in your skin If you live in or have traveled to an area where ticks are common.

When should I worry about a tick bite?

If you live where tick-borne diseases are common, you may want to talk with a doctor after a tick bite, even if you do not have any symptoms. They may be able to prescribe medication to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease.

What does a tick bite with Lyme look like?

Some people develop a bullseye rash, erythema multiforme, with Lyme disease. However, not everyone with Lyme disease develops this rash.

Tick bites are often symptom-free and harmless. However, ticks can carry harmful diseases like Lyme disease.

If you notice a bullseye-shaped rash, fever, chills, and body aches, it’s vital that you ask a doctor about the next steps.

You can prevent tick bites by using 20% DEET or 0.5% permethrin, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants in tick-prone areas, and staying away from the edges of any walking trails where ticks hide.