We are in the heart of the summer season here in the Arden area, and we are glad for it! However, with the increased time spent outside running around in the grass and exploring our community, you need to be on the lookout for ticks.

Ticks are everywhere right now, so recognizing them and removing them from your clothes and body quickly can help reduce your risk of contracting Lyme disease this season.

Read on as our AFC Urgent Care Arden team explains more about ticks and Lyme Disease below.

What Happens When a Tick Bites You?

Ticks feed off of the blood of other living beings, so while it may seem gross to you, it is just a natural part of the animal kingdom for them! In many cases, the tick will fall off once it has gotten its fill or when you pull it off yourself. Besides a little redness or irritation at the site for a few days, you should feel back to normal quickly.

In rarer cases, the tick that bit you was carrying Lyme disease, which is a condition that can make you feel really sick and cause lasting side effects. The good news is that these diseased ticks need to be attached to you for at least 36 hours to spread the infection, so if you catch one right away, you should be OK!

Removing the Entire Tick

• Use a clean tweezers and pull slowly and steadily away from the skin.
• Do not twist as you pull.
• Take a picture of the tick.
• Dispose in the garbage or toilet.
• Wash your hands and the bite site thoroughly.

How Do I Know If I Have Lyme Disease?

Remember first that it is not a guarantee that you will get sick after experiencing a tick bite. The best thing you can do is go on living your life and just keep a closer eye on how you are feeling. Symptoms can appear early around the three-day mark, or it can take a while and they may not appear until around day 30 after your exposure.

If you develop a bulls-eye rash around the bite site, experience body stiffness in your joints, or body aches accompanied by a fever, stop in right away. Treatment for Lyme disease included antibiotics and close monitoring, and we can help you feel better faster.

When a Doctor’s Visit Is Recommended

• You can’t remove the entire tick on your own
• Your rash gets bigger or looks like a bulls-eye
• Flu-like symptoms appear
• Signs of infection appear, like pus or redness and swelling

If you are ever worried about an animal or insect bite, come see us at AFC Urgent Care Arden.