Tick Symptoms

Ticks are one of the more dangerous insects found in the United States,  While they are not venomous like the Brown Recluse Spider, their saliva host several different types of bacteria that can lead to a variety of diseases.   Ticks are hematologic arthropods.  This means they are eight legged insects that feed on the blood of other animals.  During their feeding, their saliva will enter the blood system, bringing with it the potential for infectious disease.  

Ticks come in two main varieties in the United States, the hard bodied ticks and the soft bodied ticks.  Each type of tick brings its own risk of disease transmission.  The soft bodied tick tend to lack a strong exo-skeleton, These types of ticks, tend to feed for about an hour at a time, and they have a higher risk of disease transmission in this short period of time.  The main cause of this is the fluid they use to attach to hosts.  When feeding, a glue-like substance is produced, then their mouth parts, used to suck blood from the host, are inserted.  This glue-like substance is immediately introduced to the blood stream.  This variety of tick is also smaller than the hard bodied counter parts.  Because of this, they fill up faster when feeding.  When a tick becomes engorged, some of the blood will flow back into the host, taking with it the tick's saliva.  This is the number one cause of infectious disease spreading from tick to host.

The hard bodied tick is slightly different than the soft bodied.  Their back and scrotum area is covered with a thick exo-skeleton that is used for protection.  These ticks are much larger than soft bodied, and therefore feed for a longer period of time.  These kinds of ticks feed for several hours and can stay attached for several days.  The transmission of diseases from these kinds of ticks is much rarer.  Since they have a longer feeding period, the over flow takes longer.  If you discover a tick before it has finished feeding and safely remove it, you chances of getting an infection are greatly reduced. 

It isn't just humans who should be afraid of this parasite.  They are a greater issue for animals, especially dogs, cats, and various stock animals, like cows.  While infectious diseases being spread to people are the greatest concern, we at least have the capability of detecting the attached parasite and removing it. 

There are several tick symptoms that every person should be aware of. 

The bite of the soft-bodied tick tend to be more painful than that of the hard-bodied tick.  This can be a great way of detecting the parasite's attachment.  They are smaller and much more difficult to detect, but a small quick pain can be the sign of attachment.  Hard-bodied ticks, on the other hand, tend to have painless bite.  You should perform a body check if you spend time in an area where ticks may be present.

Ticks, both hard and soft, tend to prefer wooded area and areas of tall grass.  These provide them with a good vantage point for initially getting onto a host animal.  Once on, they will find  spot to feed.  If you spend any time in the woods or tall grass, you should examine yourself for the physical symptoms of ticks.  These symptoms, which can be discovered using your senses of touch and sight, can help you find a tick before it has the chance to finish feeding.  Remove all clothes and inspect your body, lightly running your hands over your skin.  If you feel a bump or discover a tick feeding, remove it immediately.  You should pay special attention to areas of  thick hair, since these are the favorite areas for ticks to feed.

Additional tick symptoms tend to develop once they have detached.  If you have been bitten by a tick, you may notice a small whelp, or even a small hole where the tick's head was buried.  These are definite signs that a tick has been feeding on you, but there are more dangerous tick symptoms to look out for.  If you develop what is known as the bulls eye rash, you may be in trouble.  The bulls eye rash is a rash that develops in the shape of a bulls eye around the bite.  This is a sign of Lyme disease, and infectious disease carried by ticks.  Should this develop, you should see a doctor. 

Some of the other tick bite symptoms can include fever, redness or swelling in the area of the bite, malaise, weakness, and pain in the area of the bite.  Should you experience these symptoms, it is best to contact a doctor.  These tick symptoms tend to develop if an infectious agent has entered the blood stream.

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