Most tick bites don't result in illness, but you should watch for a bullseye rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, or fatigue in the days and weeks after a bite. These can signal Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness that needs medical treatment.
Finding a tick on yourself is unsettling. Pulling one off and then spending the next two weeks wondering if you're going to get sick is worse. So as a way to manage the anxiety, it helps to know what to watch for so you can respond appropriately.
The first thing to figure out is the type of tick that bit you and how long it was attached. Blacklegged ticks (aka deer ticks) are the primary carriers of Lyme disease in Michigan. They’re often small, with the nymphs being about the size of a poppy seed. If you find one that is engorged (swollen with blood), it’s likely been attached for a day or more, which increases the risk of transmission. A tick that is still flat and crawling probably hasn't been attached long enough to transmit most pathogens (Powassan virus is a rare exception).
The classic warning sign of Lyme disease is the bullseye rash. But it’s not necessarily required for Lyme disease to occur. Even so, if you see a bullseye-shaped rash, contact your doctor. It’s one of the most reliable early indicators of Lyme disease, and if you start antibiotics soon, the treatment is very likely to be effective.
Other early symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. These can mimic the flu, which is why many people don't connect the symptoms to a tick bite from weeks earlier. If you see these signs after a tick bite, that’s a good reason to contact a doctor.
Other tick-borne illnesses are out there, and that includes anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The warning signs aren’t too different from Lyme disease, with fever, headache, and body aches within 1–2 weeks of a bite being common in all.
If you're tired of worrying about ticks on your Greater Lansing property, Mosquito Squad of Greater Lansing can help. Mosquito Squad provides tick control treatments targeting the areas of your yard where ticks harbor, reducing your family's exposure during the months that matter most.
