Taking a look at tick bite pictures will help you recognize how they look like. What’s the importance of this? So you can distinguish which bites are likely to cause you harm from those that you can simply ignore until they go away because many insect bites look the same. How do you determine which are actually bites from stings, which can be harmful and which require medical attention? Some bites, like those caused by mosquitoes, may be itchy and cause temporary discomfort but are generally not dangerous. Tick bites, on the other hand, are known to cause infections and give you different kinds of illnesses including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
Certain bugs and insects give us grounds to be cautious about what harm they can probably do and based on some tick bite pictures, ticks apparently could figuratively and literally get under the skin. Even as generally their bites are not serious and do not necessarily mean an infection, the fact that they carry diseases such as those mentioned above can make you worry. Here are some of the reasons why:
- As a tick feeds on you, it can pass on tick-borne diseases and the longer it stays on your skin, the more harm it can do. If you are often exposed to tick areas, regularly check for ticks. They normally latch onto skin near the armpits and groin where it is damp and in other body crevices.
- A bite can trigger allergic reactions or worse, infections that would require a medical emergency.
- As seen in tick bite pictures, a tick literally burrows its head into the skin that when you attempt to remove it, it tends to be severed from the body. The small part left behind and buried in the skin can still give you trouble. It is important that you are able to detach a tick properly.
These are some of what you might experience when bitten by a tick. It is best to prevent the bites from happening to avoid the complications they bring. Cover your feet, legs, arms and head when going outdoors in woody, grassy areas. Use tick repellants containing DEET or permethrin.
Tick Bite Pictures to Recognize a Bite
A slight swelling and redness is the common sign of a tick bite but so does a bite made by other small bloodsuckers. A bite could happen and the person won’t even know at all, the bite being nearly painless. This makes it harder to determine if the mark is because of a tick or made by other insects.
A typical tick bite is marked by a red, circular patch that is usually raised. The most distinguishing mark would be a tiny dot in the center where the tick connected and made the bite. It could itch immediately after a bite or the reaction could take hours before occurring. Tick bite pictures can help you recognize if the mark on your skin is made by this annoying creature.
Why is it important to recognize a tick bite?
- Tick bites are not always dangerous but they can be. Some ticks carry diseases which they can pass on to humans and animals. One such disease is Lyme which is caused by deer ticks also known as black-legged ticks. A victim could suffer fatigue, fever, headaches, irregularity in heart beat plus aches in joints and muscles. The bite is characterized by a round, red rash surrounded by a ring-like pattern similar to a bull’s eye target. Most tick bite pictures feature an example of Lyme disease for easy reference.
- Dogs are almost always a part of a home being among the most favorite pets. As such, they can usher ticks into the home because they prey on canines as well as on other animals. Dog ticks are the reason behind the disease called Rocky Mountain spotted fever which can cause skin rash, headache, fever, muscle aches. An early recognition of a bite can help address the dangers of the said disease.
- Recognition, especially knowing the kind of tick that bit, often leads to prevention of unwanted diseases brought about by tick bites. In the event that irritation occurs, a doctor can administer proper medication with no trouble.
Identifying the Bites
Tick bite pictures are helpful in identifying the bites. However, there are no marks or immediate signs that tell the type of tick that bit once it has detached itself from its host and escapes. There are other biting insects that also leave a mark. Recognizing the bite may not always help a doctor determine the type of tick that did it. Because some ticks transmit certain pathogens, it is vital that the tick is identified not only the bites.
- This could help determine the type of medication needed or if further tests are necessary.
- Blood tests may be required once a tick bite show signs of Lyme, Rocky Mountain, Tularemia or Ehrlichiosis – diseases that don’t show as positive even weeks after exposure despite the symptoms.
- Early therapy is vital in treating the possible infections of a tick bite even before a positive diagnosis.
Becoming familiar with how tick bites look like with the help of tick bite pictures will definitely help you in practicing the saying that “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”.
