It’s no secret that ticks carry several different illnesses that can have a great negative impact on your life. Of course the best way to keep yourself safe from tickborne illnesses is avoiding ticks all together, but sometimes, you may fall victim to tick bites even when you are trying your best to avoid them. When it comes to tickborne illnesses, you may be wondering what the signs and symptoms of infection may be. A-Tex Pest Management is here to talk about the symptoms that are present with many tickborne illnesses so you can be aware of what you should be looking for.
Common Symptoms of a Tickborne Illness
Many of the tickborne illnesses that we see in the United States are very similar to each other. Here is a rundown of what you should be looking for.
– Fever/Chills: Many people that are infected by a tick bite experience some sort of fever and chills at some point. The timeframe for the fever may vary between illnesses, but most of them do involve a fever.
– Aches/Pains: Along the same lines, many of the illnesses carried by ticks will cause you to experience aches and pains that include headache, joint and muscle aches.
– Rash: Most of the tickborne illnesses we see involve a rash of some kind as well. The rash that corresponds with each illness varies slightly so here is what you can expect from each illness:
o Lyme Disease: If you have been infected with Lyme Disease, you may notice a rash appears anywhere between 3 and 30 days. This is a circular rash and about 80 percent of people with Lyme Disease will see it. While the initial rash appears around the bite, patients will sometimes notice lesions or the circular rash on other parts of their body in the days to follow.
o STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness): While this rash may look much like the bullseye rash that comes with Lyme Disease, this rash doesn’t seem to cause neurological problems like Lyme’s.
o Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Most people with RMSF notice the rash within 3-5 days of getting bitten. Only 10 percent of infected people do not see the rash. This rash consists of small, pink, flat spots that don’t seem to cause pain or itch. While it starts on the forearms, wrists and ankles, it will eventually move to the trunk.
o Tularemia: Those that experience Tularemia will notice an ulcer that appears at the area the tick enters the body. Not only will you have the ulcer, but your lymph nodes will be swollen as well. Most people experience this in the armpits or the groin area.
o Ehrlichiosis: Only 30 percent of people with this illness will experience a rash that usually follows a fever. Children are much more likely to see the rash than adults.
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