What should be done if a tick carrying Lyme disease bites you? - briefly
Remove the tick promptly with fine‑tipped tweezers, grasping it as close to the skin as possible and pulling upward with steady pressure. Clean the bite site, watch for rash or fever, and obtain medical evaluation for potential antibiotic therapy within 72 hours.
What should be done if a tick carrying Lyme disease bites you? - in detail
When a tick that may carry Borrelia burgdorferi attaches to the skin, prompt removal is critical. Use fine‑point tweezers or a specialized tick‑removal tool; grasp the tick as close to the epidermis as possible, pull upward with steady, even pressure, avoiding twisting or crushing the body. Disinfect the bite site with an antiseptic, such as iodine or alcohol, and wash hands thoroughly.
After extraction, observe the wound for signs of infection: redness extending beyond the bite margin, swelling, or a characteristic bull’s‑eye rash (erythema migrans). Document the date of the bite and, if possible, retain the tick in a sealed container for identification.
Seek medical evaluation within 72 hours, especially if the tick was attached for more than 24 hours or if the region is endemic for Lyme disease. A clinician may prescribe a single dose of doxycycline (200 mg) as prophylaxis, provided the following criteria are met:
- Tick identified as Ixodes species.
- Estimated attachment time ≥ 36 hours.
- No contraindications to doxycycline (e.g., pregnancy, allergy).
- Local incidence of Lyme disease ≥ 20 cases per 100 000 population.
If prophylaxis is not administered, arrange follow‑up visits at 2‑week intervals for the next month. During each visit, assess for:
- Fever, chills, fatigue.
- Musculoskeletal pain or joint swelling.
- Neurological manifestations such as facial palsy or meningitis‑like symptoms.
- Cardiac signs, including heart block or palpitations.
Should any of these manifestations appear, initiate a full treatment regimen, typically doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 14‑21 days, or alternative antibiotics (amoxicillin, cefuroxime) when doxycycline is unsuitable. Early treatment markedly reduces the risk of chronic complications.