Treatment & Care

What to Do If You’re Bitten by a Tick?

Despite all precautions, it can still happen and you find a tick embedded in your skin.

Don’t panic! Here’s the step-by-step on handling a tick bite:

1. Remove the Tick Promptly and Properly

Time is critical – the sooner you remove it, the lower the chance of disease transmission. Use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers (every household should have one designated for ticks). Grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, basically grabbing its head or mouthparts (​cdc.gov). Pull upwards with steady, even pressure (​cdc.gov). Don’t twist or jerk, as that can break off the mouthparts in your skin. Just a firm, steady pull straight out. It might take a few seconds of steady pressure (ticks can be stubborn).

• If part of the tick (like the head) breaks off and is still in your skin – try to remove those with the tweezers as well. If you can’t easily get the small bits out, don’t dig too aggressively; clean the area and let it heal, the bits may come out on their own or ask a doctor if concerned.

• Avoid folk methods like burning the tick with a match, painting it with nail polish or petroleum jelly, etc. Those can actually make the tick regurgitate into you or delay removal, increasing infection risk. Just stick to tweezers. If you don’t have tweezers, in a pinch, you could use a tissue or cloth to grasp and pull it out by hand, but tweezers are best to ensure you get it all.

2. Clean the Bite Area

After removal, clean your skin with soap and water and/or an antiseptic like rubbing alcohol or iodine scrub. This helps prevent any local infection (tick bites can sometimes get a bit red or irritated just from the puncture).

3. Dispose of the Tick

You want to be sure it’s dead and gone. Good methods: drop it in a small container of alcohol which will kill it, or put it in a sealed bag or tape it to a piece of paper (ticks stuck in tape can’t escape). You can then throw it out. Flushing down the toilet works too. Optional: If you want, you can save the tick (in alcohol or a sealed bag) in case you develop illness and want it identified or tested. Labs can test ticks for pathogens, though this is usually not necessary; doctors treat based on your symptoms, not just tick testing. But some people feel better knowing what the tick carried.

4. Watch for Symptoms

After a tick bite, pay attention to your body over the next days to weeks. Not every tick carries disease, so don’t assume you’ll get sick. But be alert. Common early signs of tick-borne illness include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle/joint aches, and rash (like the erythema migrans bullseye rash for Lyme​(dph.illinois.gov) or spotted rashes for RMSF). If you get a flu-like illness in the summer (when flu is not around) or a strange rash, see a doctor and mention the tick bite. For Lyme disease, a red expanding rash at the bite site (appearing 3-30 days after) is a telltale sign (​dph.illinois.gov). For others, unexplained fever or sickness within a couple weeks of bite is the cue.

5. When to See a Doctor?

You don’t need to run to the doctor for every tick bite. But you should consider it if:

• You develop any of the symptoms mentioned (fever, rash, etc.).
• You’re unsure if you removed the tick completely and the area looks infected.
• The tick might have been attached for a long time (engorged tick or you estimate >36+ hours on you). In Lyme-endemic areas, some doctors will prescribe a single dose of doxycycline as prophylaxis if a deer tick was attached for >36 hours​ (cdc.gov), to reduce the chance of Lyme. This needs to be done within 72 hours of removing the tick. Discuss this with a doctor if you fall in that category (e.g., you found a big swollen deer tick that likely fed overnight or longer).
• You cannot remove the tick entirely (if its head is deeply embedded and you need help).
• Obviously if you develop severe symptoms (very high fever, stiff neck, etc.), seek care immediately.

6. Monitor the Bite Site

It’s normal for the bite area to have a small red bump or slight redness immediately after the tick is removed (similar to a mosquito bite). This doesn’t mean infection. If the red area grows larger over days (especially if it expands >2 inches and forms a bullseye), that’s likely a Lyme rash (​dph.illinois.gov), see a doctor. If it just stays small or even gets a little itchy but doesn’t expand, it’s probably just irritation. Keep it clean, maybe apply a little antibiotic ointment. If it develops pus or significant pain (signs of a local skin infection), get it checked, though that’s uncommon.

7. Write it down and take pictures

It’s helpful to note the date you removed the tick and roughly how long you think it was attached, and what the tick looked like (was it a deer tick? dog tick? small as a sesame seed or larger?). This info can be handy if you do get sick later, for your doctor’s detective work. You might even take a clear photo of the tick before disposal for ID purposes.

Stay calm!

Not every tick bite leads to disease. In fact, even in high-risk Lyme areas, only a minority of bites (maybe a few percent) result in Lyme transmission, especially if the tick is removed promptly. By following the above steps, you’ve done everything in your power. Many of us in tick country have been bitten and are just fine thanks to quick removal and watching for signs.

If you have removed a tick, reward yourself with a treat (ice cream for bravery?) and continue to be tick-safe out there.