Any insect bite may cause a small bump, and may at first look like a mosquito bite. But, if you have a growing rash that is not itchy, it may be a sign of early Lyme disease.
Early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease usually occurs three to 30 days after a tick bite. Common symptoms are fever, chills, headache and fatigue, in addition to a rash. Rashes from a tick bite may change in size and appearance. A rash that is not itchy and slowly gets larger over a few days is the most common symptom of Lyme disease.
If you see a rash and do not know what caused it, see your healthcare provider to get it checked out.
“Most cases of early Lyme disease go undetected. It is important to let your doctor know if you develop an usual rash, even if it disappears after a few days or weeks,” said Madison County Health Department’s Medical Director Dr. Seelan Newton.
Fortunately, Lyme disease is preventable. Add these tick prevention steps into your everyday routine to help reduce your risk:
- Consider wearing long pants tucked into your socks and a long sleeve shirt when you go hiking.
- Wear light colored clothing to make spotting a darker colored tick easier.
- Apply insect repellent effective against ticks on your shoes, body, and clothes whenever you are outside.
- Apply insect repellent effective against ticks on your shoes, body, and clothes whenever you are outside.
- When you shower, check your entire body from head to toe for ticks, especially for tiny ticks the size of a poppy seed.
If you find a tick, remove it right away. Use a fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to your skin as
possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. If the mouthparts break off and stay in your skin, try to
remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands well with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Seal the tick in a bag or tape. Never crush a tick with your fingers.
For more information about symptoms of Lyme disease and preventing Lyme disease, visit healthymadisoncounty.org/healthinfo/topicsa-z/topic- lyme.htm.