Ticks are making a comeback this season and are expected to be booming in numbers. The New England area, specifically Connecticut,  is a hotspot for these sneaky little buggers because they often carry Lyme disease. Lyme disease is notorious for causing long term issues of the nervous system and joints. The good news is this: most tick bites don’t expose people to Lyme Disease, but deer ticks (that roam New England)  often do. We thought the tick count was high last year, but with less COVID-19 restrictions and warmer weather in the mix, the chances of coming in contact with a deer tick this season will most likely increase. 

Deer Ticks May Be Going On Hike With You Too!

As we mentioned earlier, deer ticks are very common in the northeast. They like to hide in woodsey areas and grassy plains. So, if you’re out for a hike or are doing some yard work, it’s important to perform a THOROUGH tick check when you get home to make sure that a tick has not latched onto you.

It’s also important that if you are out and about, that you’re wearing long pants, socks and long sleeves to avoid a tick from latching onto your skin right away. The truth is, ticks are very sneaky and if they latch onto you for more than 36-48 hours, chances are you will get Lyme disease. The way they transmit Lyme disease is by regurgitating the contents (Spirochetes…aka bacteria carrying the Lyme) from their digestive tract into your bloodstream. 

What Should I Do If I Get Bitten By A Deer Tick?

The first thing to do is to determine if what bit you was, in fact,  a deer tick at all. Deer ticks are far smaller than all other types of ticks, and have distinctly black legs. If you believe that it was a deer tick that bit you, watch out for these signs as they may be early indicators of Lyme Disease:

• extreme fatigue
• joint aches and pains
• a target shaped rash
• and low-grade fevers
• chills

AFC Urgent Care Danbury Can Help Remove Deer Ticks And Evaluate You For Lyme Disease

If you or your child have been bitten by a tick, treat the area with rubbing alcohol, remove it, and bring it into your doctor’s office or into one of our Danbury AFC urgent care centers right away. If you are unclear about how to properly remove the tick, feel free to come in to any of our 3 Danbury AFC Centers ( soon after/ within 24 hours) and one of our providers will be happy to remove it for you within the first 24 hours after the initial bite to extract the tick correctly and completely.

The longer the tick remains embedded in the skin, the higher the chances of contracting Lyme Disease. We are ready to help you identify and remove ticks at our Danbury AFC urgent care centers, no appointment needed, or you can make an appointment to be seen here.  Our providers at all three of our AFC Danbury Urgent Care Centers are well equipped for the challenges of tick season.