Can I Get Lyme Disease From a Tick Bite?
What’s the first thing you think about when you hear the word “tick?”
*cringe*
You’re probably thinking about being bitten and now worrying that you have Lyme disease. But is getting Lyme disease something that can easily happen from any tick bite?
The Answer Is…
Yes. A person who has been bitten by a tick has the potential to be diagnosed with Lyme disease. However, not all tick bites will transfer this disease.
The blacklegged tick (also known as the deer tick) is the main culprit and must be infected with a specific bacterium in order to spread Lyme disease — Borrelia burgdorferi.
In addition to being infected by this bacterium, this tick must also have its head buried in your skin for at least 24 hours to successfully transfer the disease.
There’s a lot of factors for this to happen, but being diagnosed with Lyme Disease is not uncommon — roughly 30,000 people are diagnosed with this disease every year, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Within the First Month:
- Feverish symptoms, chills, muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, etc.
- Roughly three out of every four people will develop some form of an ‘Erythema migrans’ rash.
- This rash can expand and become up to 12 inches in length.
- Eventually, the rash can begin to resemble a “bulls-eye.”
As Time Goes On:
- Severe headaches
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
- Muscle stiffness — (usually the neck)
- Arthritis development — (knee and joint areas)
- Occasional pain in muscles, joints, tendons, bones, etc.
- Tingling in extremities
If you begin to exhibit any of these symptoms after being bitten by a tick, there’s a possible chance you could have been infected with Lyme Disease.
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To help keep tick populations away from your home (or business), your family, and your pets, make sure you have the proper pest management plans in place.
Learn more about these plans or schedule an inspection of your property by giving us call.
