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Tick bite - Overview

Definition of Tick bite:

Ticks are small, insect-like creatures that can attach to you as you brush past bushes, plants, and grass. Once on you, ticks often move to a warm, moist location, like the armpits, groin, and hair. At that point they typically attach firmly to your skin and begin to draw blood.

Ticks can be fairly large -- about the size of a pencil eraser -- or so small that they are almost impossible to see. Ticks can cause a variety of health conditions ranging from harmless to serious.

This article describes the effects of a tick bite.

See also: Tick removal

Poisonous Ingredient:

Hard- and soft-bodied female ticks are believed to make a poison that can cause tick paralysis in children.

While most ticks do not carry diseases, some ticks can carry bacteria that can cause:

Where Found:

Ticks live in wooded or grassy fields.

  • Reviewed last on: 10/24/2007
  • Stephen C. Acosta, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

References

Holm AL. Arachnids, insects, and other arthropods. In: Long SS, Pickering LK, Prober CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone; 2003:chap 299.