Tick Season! We're not out of the woods yet!

When people spend time outdoors, insect bites can occur. A common biting creature is the tick. Tick bites can cause several types of skin and systemic infections and reactions. The tick family that cause the most problems for us are the hard ticks(Ixodidae Family). We usually associate tick bourn conditions with the adult tick that attaches to the skin with a sharp mouth part. However, ticks at any life stage including larvae and nymphs can cause allergic, toxic or infectious conditions in humans. Adult ticks can often be visualized as they are attached to the skin. Larval and nymph stages are much harder to detect. Ticks like to attach in skin folds so it is important to inspect those areas after being outdoors.

Prompt removal of ticks is necessary to limit the potential for reactions and infections. A fine tweezer can be used to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Gentle, steady pulling will usually cause the tick to detach. Care should be taken to not crush the tick during removal as crushing can cause saliva from the tick to be injected into the skin.

Topical steroids and itch relieving creams are the first line of treatment for symptom control. With more severe reactions, systemic antihistamines and steroids may be needed.

Systemic infections with bacteria, fungi and protozoa are a risk with tick bites. Common tick borne illnesses include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis, tick paralysis and tularemia. Because finding an attached tick is not always possible, a high degree of suspicion should be used to identify tick borne illnesses. Unexplained fever, chills, sweats or muscle aches should prompt a visit to a health care provider for evaluation and testing to identify the source, especially if you have been spending time outside. Oral antibiotics targeted to the identified or suspected organism should be curative if started early. Long term sequelae from conditions such as Lyme disease can occur without appropriate early treatment, so it is important to seek care right away if any tick borne illness is suspected.